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Chapter Text

Ages ago, Claude set up a particular ringtone on his phone for Lorenz. Beforehand, it had only been a basic ring. Nothing special. But then he started to become an actual friend, less of a tool... and so Claude actually cared about personalizing Lorenz's existence on his phone. It was something he only did for people that were personally important for him.... or, you know, if he thought of something funny or meaningful enough to attribute right off the top of his head. The same with attaching a picture to their contact information; Lorenz is a blue rose.

Yet Lorenz really does seem to hate it whenever he hears it blare out from Claude's phone, for some reason. It's such a rare occasion, honestly, that the other man always ends up forgetting about it... and is completely surprised whenever he hears it from Claude's phone.

Fortunately Lorenz is in another apartment when "Pretty Fly For a White Guy" sounds off from besides Claude's head, drawing him out of his sleep. He's already fumbling to grab his phone, turn it off if nothing else, but it's already done with by the time his fingers find contact.

Lorenz knows Claude well at this point; he always picks up almost instantaneously when his phone goes off. Anything later than that means one may as well hang up and try some other time. Yet what follows are immediate vibrations in his palm as a series of text messages arrive, one right after the other. Those, well, those Claude can deal with better in the morning.

He skims over it all, committing the words to memory for when he's a little more awake, before quietly putting his phone back. It's nothing important, so he can steal a few more minutes snoozing in, wrapped in Dimitri's warm arms. The last time was nice, but not completely perfect, thanks to a crick in both their necks from sleeping on the couch. But this - the pillow under their heads, blankets pulled snuggly over them, Dimitri's breath tickling through his hair, legs tangled together - that's a little closer to the perfection he's looking for.

A few other changes would make it the really ideal experience, Claude muses as he begins to lean back, but sometimes it's the road to perfection that makes it perfect instead of rushing straight towards it-

Claude comes to an abrupt stillness as he settles against Dimitri. Oh. Now there's something against his hips that he hadn't noticed before. A rather.... hard something, just soft enough to give a bit in response to the pressure of Claude's body resting against it. Behind him, he can hear Dimitri's breath hitch before giving up in a sigh. Claude's grin couldn't grow wider. "Morning, Dimitri."





Well, there go his plans of getting out of bed without alerting Claude.

Not that those plans were happening at all, Dimitri supposes. He's been awake for around ten minutes, with nothing to show for it, besides his own morning arousal that's been terribly encouraged from Claude's.... everything, he supposes. Dimitri is no stranger to, er, morning wood, but it's never been a problem before. It's never been this bad before, honestly.

Then again.... Perhaps there's no helping that it's as painfully hard as it is. Not with the way Claude fits so perfectly against his body, just shorter enough than him that he fills all of Dimitri's gaps, radiating warmth like the sun, a star. Not with how his head slots perfectly underneath Dimitri's chin, allowing him to take in deep breaths of fading cinnamon and lingering warmth of kitchen scents.

How can he not feel something stir in the pit of his stomach as he wakes up to look down at Claude, sweet and warm and smiling in drowsy contentment, happy to be here in his arms instead of anywhere else?

There's something to be said about how precious love is, how grateful he is to have finally found someone who nestles against him with so much affection.... and how all of that feeds into arousal.

A lot of arousal.

He feels rather ashamed now, with Claude having stirred himself awake to glance back at him with that sly expression he wears so well. It's not a judgmental look, which is a good thing, so Dimitri, having already given up on hiding any aspect of this morning, speaks up. "Good morning, Claude." He resists the urge to shift or squirm, knowing full well it will only grind him against Claude further. Not only would that be atrocious manners, he's fairly certain he might- well. There are certain things he feels he would be terribly tempted into doing if he were subject to anymore of such delicious friction.

Not that it's entirely within his control, now that Claude is awake and giving him that grin. "Oh, I would say it's definitely a very good morning, considering what I've woken up to," he purrs, not yet teasing Dimitri further although it would be incredibly easy to do so. They both know it, too; it feels not too unlike a moment of calm before the storm... and Dimitri can't tell if it's because of how easily Claude could push this further or how how close Dimitri is to snapping. "Have nice dreams?"

Honestly, he hasn't dreamed much of anything for a while now, but Dimitri feels that isn't particularly important right now. Especially since... "Nothing that compares to the reality I have in my arms." Claude's skin darkens when he blushes, a deep sort of red beneath all the brown, and Dimitri loves seeing it every time. It looks so good on him. But now isn't the moment to get distracted. That's been his problem ever since he woke up. "I, er, am sorry for this, however. And after I had struggled so much last night that I almost made it a problem..."

Claude finally moves, laughing as he rolls over in order to smile up at Dimitri properly. The way this has his hip grind straight against Dimitri's cock is agonizing, but his smile is a fine distraction. "It is a little silly after how you tried to fight it," he says, hand settling on Dimitri's side. "But I think I would prefer if you didn't keep your promise. Instead of perishing..." His hand drifts underneath Dimitri's shirt, sliding along bare skin. When he hears the way Dimitri's breath catches, Claude's eyelids dip halfway in clear interest. "I think I would prefer if you stay right here."

It's hard to refuse him like this, when his fingers are so warm and firm as they brush along the very bottom rib and ghost over the hard curve of his hip. Dimitri sighs, head rolling against the pillows, and wonders when the last time someone touched him like this was. A long time, he's fairly certain. Extremely long. "Claude..." Before he can speak, Claude interrupts, voice gentle as the way he kisses Dimitri's collarbone.

"I know- worried about everyone else, right?" Dimitri can literally feel the way Claude's lips curve in that pleased smile of his. "Well, put your worry back in its box where it belongs. That message I just got was from Lorenz, saying he and a few others were going to head out to grab some things for breakfast. You know, create a little and cheap fast food buffet here in your apartment so that we can save last night's leftovers for lunch. Something to look forward to after we clean up. Fortunately, that group seems to include everyone who was staying in your apartment.... So, right now, as of very recently, we have plenty of time... It's just you-"

His lips almost seem to leave a burn mark where he kisses Dimitri's jaw.

"-and me."

Five little words, five simple syllables, and Dimitri's self control frays through completely. Reaching up, he takes Claude by the chin so that he can tilt his face up. They really do fit perfectly together, and it shows even more here... because he barely has to move his own face until their lips are connecting, a morning kiss that he's been waiting for all this time.

They've kissed before by now, of course. Dimitri couldn't forget it if he tried- the fragile but concentrated warmth of Claude in his arms, how very neatly it had felt to hold him so closely, the way the drifting snow had seemed to disappear with all that mattered being Claude there against his lips. But, well, they'd been in public, and their friends had been there... There had been limitations.

No such thing holds them back now. Now, there's only him, and only Claude, and their hands roaming along each other's body. In the privacy of his room, the privacy of his apartment, they can kiss as slowly as they like, a languid exploration for one of the last things in their relationship. Dimitri takes full advantage of the moment now that he has it, kissing Claude deeply until it's like he's mapped out every little inch of him, through mouth and hands both.

When they finally pull away, Dimitri feels breathless even though he's fairly sure he's not. At some point in their kiss, Claude's fingers have slid a little more towards his front, teasing at the hem of his sweatpants and the faint trail of gold that lies there. Things... could go very far, very quickly, here, and that's something Dimitri has known since he woke up. Perhaps it's thanks to that preparation that he can focus instead of getting distracted by the pads of Claude's fingertips. "How far do you want to go?" he asks, voice a little low from how deep and long he's been kissing Claude.

Well, Claude must like something about that. So close, it's impossibly for him to miss the way Claude's eyes darken, pupils blowing out, and his tongue darts out to wet his lips. "There are a lot of things I would like to really go far on," he murmurs, transfixed on Dimitri's gaze. "But it's something of a two way street, last I checked... So let's just say 'all the way', and you tell me what you want, okay?" Claude wiggles in place until he can draw his hand up, threading it through Dimitri's hair. "I mean, I know that might be a little much for you right now. We did just have our first kiss not too long ago. So, just assume that anything leading up to that point is something I'm alright with... okay?" Using the fingers he has in Dimitri's hair, Claude pulls him in close for another kiss.

This one is a little shorter than what preceded it, but no less good. Dimitri sighs as they part, smiling once more. "You're so good to me," he murmurs, a fact that he's still sometimes surprised by. Five years ago, and he couldn't have imagined having, making, a relationship this good. This open and honest and trusting. "But, well.... There's something I suppose I must confess."

Claude's eyebrows rise up, visible intrigue on his boyfriend's face at the dusting of pink no doubt growing along Dimitri's cheeks, if the heat he feels is any indication. "Oh? Now do tell. I know you were getting rather frisky last night, but I admittedly thought- well, there were a lot of ways that could have gone."

Mm, yes, he is.... definitely blushing now. Dimitri is quite familiar with the tell-tale heat setting his whole face ablaze. "A very many different ways," he agrees, because it's true and he's never been a liar, even if honesty makes him want to catch on fire. "But, well... I... I also wouldn't mind going 'all the way', as you said. I... have actually thought about a great deal more."

With the kinds of jokes that Claude has made - and the things he's made explicitly clear are not jokes - it's really no surprise to see the way his boyfriend's eyes light up. "Oh?" He wiggles closer, hip pressing up against Dimitri's trapped cock, and Dimitri feels his brain briefly leave him at the shock of pleasure that rockets up his spine. "Mind giving examples?"

"They're... a little embarrassing."

Claude chuckles- not mean spiritedly, but in that soft and relaxed way of his that always helps ease the tension in Dimitri's joints and weight on his brow. "Well, sex often has that effect on people. How about this-" He raises his eyebrows up together. "Why don't I start with a dirty little thought I've had, and see if that doesn't help get you going too?"

Now Dimitri can't help but be curious. Claude hasn't been subtle on how attractive he finds Dimitri, certainly- it's something he actually appreciates. These things sometimes go over his head, especially when he's lost in it, and, well.... The more obvious something, the better. But that there might be more.... There must be something in his gaze giving him away, because Claude is grinning wider even before Dimitri answers. "If you wouldn't mind... Then I would certainly be interested. Perhaps... it might even work."

"Perfect. Then, to start with..." Snuggling his cheek further against the pillows, Claude laughs a little once more. "One of these days, I want you in a massive fur cloak, leather pants, boots, and no shirt whatsoever, so that I can fulfill my long time fantasy of being fucked by a handsome viking."

...Dimitri thought he had an idea of where Claude would go with this. It turns out he absolutely did not. All he can do is stare for a moment as his mind reboots. "...That's a long time fantasy of yours?"

Claude shakes in his arms, trying to muffle his laughter. "I mean, it's been a fantasy of mine ever since we first started dating." His eyes are absolutely radiant with his happiness and teasing as he glances up at Dimitri from beneath his bangs. "So, what do you think? How's that for encouragement?"

Slowly, a smile begins to crawl across Dimitri's face. "I think.... that might just have done it." Hair pulling, long kisses, and now having sex with someone cosplaying as a viking. Dimitri thinks he can work with all of that. "Then, to start with..."

Taking Claude by surprise, he grabs his boyfriend by the hips, turning them in his bed. Even with all the positive reinforcement his therapists have provided him, it had still been very hard for him to ever imagine someone else sharing his bed, so he'd never really bought one with that in mind. It took work last night to make sure both of them could fit together, and it takes work now for Dimitri to position them both just right.

But it's worth it.

It's worth it to position himself so that he can drag Claude right beneath him, which offers him the perfect view to the way Claude's pupils dilate in pure arousal. The way his lips part, a soft noise leaving them that defies description but not emotion. The way he simply looks, this way, with his dark hair splayed across Dimitri's pillows and his body pliant beneath his.

If he had to name the first thing he's daydreamed about Claude, he supposes there's no better place to start. Heart thudding hard in his chest, Dimitri dares to lower his head until he can brush his lips along Claude's neck. Claude goes along with it so neatly, so smoothly, tilting his head back with a soft gasp to expose more soft skin to whatever Dimitri can give him. "I've thought about pinning you like this," he murmurs against the pulsepoint he can feel against his lips. "About having you beneath me, able to steal all of your attention."

Another soft kiss, and Claude sighs, this time, pleased and content. "You have it," he murmurs. "What else?"

There's so much else. Dimitri continues to layer a trail of kisses down Claude's pulse, as if he can follow it all the way right into the heart it's connected to. "I've had to imagine the noises you would make, unable to steal them from your lips like I can now... I've thought..." He pushes himself up onto his hands, staring down at Claude as he trails his hand up from those wonderful hips, grazing against his chest, until they're following the line of his jaw up into the messed up curls of his hair. Dimitri licks his lips; he can't even begin to imagine what the look on his face must be. "I've thought of what your hair would feel like, if I dug my fingers in, and pulled."

Claude's teeth dig right into his lower lips at that, a flash of green as he stares up at Dimitri with his pupils almost completely dominating his iris. He actually moans a little bit, hips wiggling, and the noise stutters when Dimitri's other hand digs in. "Don't move," comes a murmur, and Dimitri isn't entirely sure when his voice got like that- low and dark and with a husk lined through it. That realization is enough to snap him out of it, and Dimitri pulls his hands back along with the rest of his body. A sheepish expression rests on his face. "Oh- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get like that."

"I wasn't minding that you did," Claude breathes, still laying there a little dazed before he pushes himself up as well. Dimitri hadn't entirely paid attention, so caught up and excited, but sitting like this leaves him straddling his boyfriend. Hm. Before he can rectify that, Claude finally recovers himself with a breathless laugh. "You don't have to apologize! I mean, I did ask you to keep going."

"You.... did..." Dimitri can't argue against basic facts, especially when that's what Claude is telling him so confidently. He chews just a little bit on his lower lip. "Regardless, I feel I might have been going a little too far."

He's always worried about going too far, when it comes to the bedroom. Some of it is a lack of experience, and what experience he does have is... questionable. In the back of his mind, however, he knows what really worries him. He knows it has to do with all the things he's ever been told, all his worries about how he's not... allowed this. Not someone like him. His therapists have been working with him on it, but... Well, things like this take some time.

Claude teases him for a lot of things, but he doesn't tease him for this. He merely tilts his head side to side, as if literally rolling his thoughts around in his skull. "You know, I didn't think we would be using it so soon in our relationship," he says, smiling a little, lopsided, "but why not use a safeword, then? I'll saaaaay...." It only takes a second for him to think of something, and his smile widens. "Lion."

His favorite animal. Dimitri starts to smile again as well. "You remembered?" he asks.

"I remember everything about you." A wink. He might mean it as a joke, but it makes Dimitri feel something warm in his body that has nothing to do with arousal. Although, well, there's plenty of that too. "So, sound like a good idea?"

In all honesty.... "Yes, it does." Dimitri leans in, soft because he means it and not as an apology, and kisses Claude. "So, you liked all of that?"

Languid, relaxed, Claude wraps his arms around Dimitri's shoulders and begins to pull him back down against the pillows. "What an understated way of putting it," he chuckles. "Dimitri, I like having my hair pulled," he reminds him. "Just the act of you pushing me onto my back like you did, looming over me?"

"I was looming?"

"That was hot as hell," Claude continues, as if he didn't speak, before he pauses as if remembering something. Reassuringly, he pats Dimitri's back. "And you always loom just a lil', big guy. I mean, look at the size difference between us. But when you use it on purpose...?" His eyes shine, matching the pleased curve of his mouth. "I can think of very few things that are quite as hot."

That finally has Dimitri raise an eyebrow, incredulous. "From what I know of you... I would say that you have more than enough ideas. A plethora, even." He can't tell if it's the accusation or the word choice that makes Claude burst into laughter, but it makes Dimitri smile again, and he steals another kiss.

When he pulls away this time, it's with another question. "Could I touch you? While I describe it all? I don't mean- well, if things escalate, then we can cross that bridge when we get to it. But..." It's been a while since he's done this, or anything close to it, at least with another person. He feels he must be talking too much. He wets his lips. "...What about- grinding against you? Or, well... Fondling..."

Sometimes, he wonders if there's ever a limit to how wide Claude's grins can get. They seem different every time, like now. "Oh, Dimitri, you can fondle me anytime."

He huffs. "Don't tease me."

Another laugh before Claude admits, "It was an honest tease, 'tho."

The only guaranteed way to shut Claude up, it seems, is to kiss him, so Dimitri leans down again and does just that. It's a deep kiss, like the one before it, and Dimitri savors the sensation of sliding his tongue past Claude's defenses. Claude seems to like it, too- being forcefully silenced like this, squirming beneath Dimitri's body again until a hand pins his hips into place once more.

For that, Dimitri pulls his mouth away, and his breath has grown heavy. Claude still makes a gorgeous sight, now enhanced by the wet sheen along his lips. His voice has taken on that low rough tone again, and, this time, he doesn't fight it. He lets himself have it, because Claude has allowed him to have it. "So, where was I?"

The answer, he knows, is just the tip of the iceberg.

With a little safety in place, and Claude's encouragement, it feels easier to nudge his nose up along Claude's neck, kissing and biting in turn. Every little sensation is a surprise to his boyfriend, who sighs and gasps depending on what he receives. Dimitri leads the trail all the way up to his ear; Claude's fingers dig into the back of his shirt at a single warm breath.

"I want to unravel you... You're always so confident, in control, that I want to see what you look like when it's all pulled away from you. Stripped off as easily as a shirt." Feeling a little daring, Dimitri skirts one hand up until Claude's shirt is crumpling against his wrist and revealing the smooth pane of his stomach. Claude is in good shape, healthy and fit, but he doesn't work out so regularly as Dimitri does. When he gives a sharp inhale at Dimitri's touch, all he can feel is softness.

"I've thought of all the ways I could pin you, even as I immediately squashed such thoughts... Every place has been a temptation." Experimentally, he nips at a tender lobe and is rewarded by an eager little noise. Claude is vocal, he's coming to find. Definitely a good thing that he didn't go any further last night, despite how hard it had been to resist. "I thought of pushing you down against tables, to see how your spine would look curved and bent in front of me. I thought about if you'd arch your back for me when I finally gave you what you wanted by digging my fingers into your hair..."

"Yes," Claude gasps, legs spreading wider, knees bracketing Dimitri's sides.

It's easy. It's unbelievable how easy it is. Dimitri thought something would go wrong by now - that he'd say the wrong thing, that Claude would get turned off, find him repulsive, that maybe he'd just too something stupid like fall off the bed. But none of that is happening, his traitorous brain is being proven wrong once again, and Dimitri lives off the thrill of that almost as much as the sounds coming out of Claude's mouth.

But he really is rusty when it comes to this. It's a good thing he's talking, because he's hoping it offers some distraction as he remembers what it's like to grind on someone. "Or maybe I could lift you up- you weigh so little. It would take nothing at all to pick you up by your hips, off your feet, keep you right where I want you-"

With how much Claude has commented on his muscles, Dimitri had long figured out that he rather likes the idea of Dimitri being strong. Strong towards him, manhandling and being a little rough? That he hadn't been too sure about, until now, as Claude rolls his hips up against Dimitri's with a delighted moan. "Could you?" he asks breathlessly, almost unable to laugh. "What am I saying, of course you could-"

Dimitri kisses him again. He makes sure to keep it even longer than the other two, and uses the spare time to replicate what Claude's movements had so helpfully made clear again, until he has it perfect, and Claude is moaning against his mouth more than kissing. "I could," he answers when he pulls away, pleased at how pleasantly dazed Claude appears to be. "And you'd love it."

Because there's really no doubt at this point. Claude tilts his head back and just grins, shamelessly eager as he continues to help drive the friction between their bodies. That's all the answer he gives, hands adjusting against Dimitri's shoulder and back while his fingers dig in for even better purchase. "What else?" he asks, groaning when Dimitri grabs his hips and forces him down again. He's starting to get the feeling that Claude acts up exactly because he adores it when Dimitri puts him back in place against the bed.

Well, he's more than glad to oblige. He slides both hands into place over the curve of Claude's hips, and his hair falls messily around his face as he wraps his lips around a tender bit of flesh. "I want to hear you scream," he confesses, heart skipping a beat at his own admission. It's almost frightening to say it, as though he's skirting too close to the edge. But he keeps pressing, remembering their agreement, remembering exactly what it is that Claude hasn't said. "My name, begging me to go faster, harder, until you can't even form coherent words, and it's all for me-"

But, of course, he's the one who begins to reach his peak first out of both of them. Dimitri digs his teeth in harder along the arch of Claude's neck, freely and gladly given. His hips jerk, stuttering, rhythm broken and desperate, and he can feel Claude's fingers claw up from his shoulder into his hair. His boyfriend gasps, groans, offers words inbetween pleasure and noise. "Oh yes, oh, that's it, I want it, c'mon Dimitri, let go, c'mon c'mon c'mon-"

And it's so tempting to just keep going, to chase that pleasurable high with his teeth latched onto Claude's throat, Claude's voice keening against his ear, so warm and eager in his hands-

The effort it takes to pull away is monumental but worth it, he knows it will be. It's not worth it because of the way Claude squirms so wantonly in his sheets at the lack of his pressure, his heat...But it is something of a nice bonus. "I can't," he says, the words slipping out of him in a low groan because, honestly, he's missing the feel of Claude, too.

One of Claude's hands starts to slide out of Dimitri's hair. "Oh, I can make sure you absolutely can," he mumbles, eyes greedy and bright as he drags his fingers down Dimitri's chest and towards the hem of his pants, the large bulge tented there.

Hastily, Dimitri grabs that wandering hand and pins it up nearer to Claude's head. "No, I don't mean- not like that kind of 'can'. I mean- Claude, this is our first time together. I shouldn't-" He pulls another hand off of Claude's hips, leaving now only the one pinning his hand. This is so that he can give a flustered gesture towards, well, them. "I should think it deserves a little more effort and attention on my part than rutting against you until I make a mess in my pants. You deserve better."

"You realize that some people absolutely do that on even the first date, right?" Claude asks, more pure curiosity than anything judgmental.

Dimitri shakes his head. "Those people aren't me," he says stubbornly.

If anything, Claude's expression seems to brighten, until he looks as radiant as a star even in his current disheveled state. "They certainly aren't," he says quietly, drawing his other hand slowly down along Dimitri's shoulder. It's a quiet moment, sinking past the burning heat between their legs, before Claude breaks it with a chuckle. "Well, if you want to make it special, there are a few ways we could go about it. Just not actual sex, unfortunately. With this being a big multi-person party, I didn't think we'd get a chance so, for once, I didn't plan for anything."

Dimitri's heart leaps up through his throat, and he pulls away from Claude even more. "That's fine!" he exclaims, getting one foot on the floor and nearly slipping when he tries with the other. Fortunate that he can grab onto his bed for stability. Hastily straightening up, he adds, "Hold on, just, don't-" He's not sure how he intends to finish that sentence, and he suspects continuing might jumble his meaning further. In the interest of clarity, Dimitri shuts his mouth and just heads towards his dresser drawers.

When he's finally gotten what he's looking for and turned around, Claude has rolled onto his side to watch him with one hand cupping his cheek. Almost immediately, his eyes light up as he spots what Dimitri has in his hands. "Now since when have you started holding onto lube and condoms?" he asks, unrestrained in his delight.

It's a good thing Dimitri's face was already red from what they were doing; maybe Claude won't notice a little more rising to his cheeks. "I- Well. I kept inviting you over to my apartment. Last time was especially-" Dimitri cuts himself off to try and organize his words better. He wants to go into a huge talk about that night, how warm Claude felt at his side, how nice it felt to drift away that first time, the television a comforting hum in the background. It's all his mind can think about, taking over what he feels must be a better answer. He just... isn't sure what the proper words are.

Fortunately, Claude seems to be adjusting to these lapses or tangents on Dimitri's side. He just grins. "Well, I always knew I was never keeping it a secret that I was interested... But still, you, picking up condoms, getting all ready for the off-chance that we would have sex?" Claude's gaze takes its time roaming over Dimitri's body, lingering especially on the condoms and the tent in his pants. "Well... I already underestimated you on the dirty talking front alone. That'll show me."

He sounds nothing short of pleased to be shown up this way.

Sitting upright, Claude reaches out to Dimitri with his fingers wiggling for him impatiently. "Let's see what we have to work with, hm?" Once Dimitri is close enough, Claude's fingers wrap around one arm while the other takes the condom box from him. His eyes skim over the box before he has to pause, eyebrows rising up to his hairline and his tongue darting out to wet his lips. "Oh... the answer is a lot, apparently."

Dimitri rather thought he was perhaps going a little overboard with the size, but... "I triple checked to make sure that I was getting the right size." He hides his mouth behind one hand, although that does nothing for his blush. "I'm not- this isn't me attempting to boast, or seem like I'm trying to overestimate myself. It really will fit. I've checked." It had been, in fact, very easy to check. Thinking of Claude had almost been a guaranteed road to an erection.

"Oh, I don't doubt you." Sliding a condom out, Claude gives him a sly little look from underneath his curly bangs and dark eyelashes. Dimitri's cock can't help twitching. "I've only been able to see the bulge before, but this seems about right..." Putting the box to the side, besides his phone, Claude raises the condom packet to his lips and smiles with just enough teeth to be a definite tease. "But let's double check, huh?"

Well. Dimitri doesn't need to be told twice. He's glad he wore comfortable sweatpants to bed. At the time, he figured they'd be roomy enough for some plausible deniability if anything happened- a plan that had clearly failed. Now, however, they serve a better purpose in being easy to slide off of his hips, underwear coming along with them. He'd done a lot of work to get his room clean, but Dimitri completely forgets all of that in favor of messily tossing his pants to the side. Following soon after is his shirt, tugged over his head to leave behind an absolute mess of bedhead.

Claude doesn't mind. Claude very clearly doesn't mind, watching Dimitri strip with intent. One hand is still holding the condom up to his lips, almost absentmindedly, as if he's forgotten the point of it. His other hand- oh. Oh.

His other hand is grinding gently along the front of his own pants- Dimitri's pants, loaned, where his arousal presses out noticeably even in loose fabric.

Transfixed, drawn like a cat to sun, Dimitri can't stop himself from moving closer until his knee is pressing down against his sheets. Leaning over Claude, he slides his hand along his shirt, until his hand is folding over Claude's where it's cupped between his legs. Claude shivers, other hand finally moving down to brace himself against the bed. So little, and he's already so excited... Not that Dimitri can judge, when his own length is jutting out long and hard between his legs. When he presses downwards, grinding against Claude's hand in turn, his boyfriend moans.

"Teasing me," Claude gasps, lips brushing against Dimitri's jaw.

"You've been an entire nonstop tease ever since I met you," Dimitri murmurs back, enjoying the way Claude's hips roll up against his hand. "You're wearing far too many clothes for this, if I understand how these things go."

Face flushed, he gets his answer in the form of Claude's ever sly grin. "You should take care of that for me."

Dimitri doesn't think he'll ever get tired of seeing Claude in his clothes, the drastic way they don't fit on his slimmer frame and imprint Dimitri's existence on him. Yet if there's one thing he thinks he likes more, he's realizing, it's the act of removing his clothes from Claude. His hands are helpless to resist Claude's body, lingering along the bumps of his spine when he pulls off the shirt from his torso, and they press in harder to Claude's hips when they're finally exposed to open air instead of hidden away by cotton.

What he's most looking forward to is what's had his attention for the past ten minutes or so, and it springs from Claude's underwear already mostly hard when Dimitri finally focuses enough to tug away his underwear. Claude can't help laughing a little bit when Dimitri immediately looks to it. "It's not as impressive as yours," he notes. "Still, not bad, right?"

Objectively, Dimitri knows what he means. Claude isn't particularly big, or small. Maybe he's a little smaller than is the norm, but it's not like Dimitri is a professional in knowing the national dick average. Because, subjectively, to him...

"I love it," he says, sincerely, and begins to shift backwards.

That makes Claude laugh a little again. "I'm not sure if that's what you're supposed to say about a penis-" His words get cut off by a moan, the result of Dimitri breathing hotly right at his tip. "Oh, you are so very much more devious than I ever gave you credit for." They both exchange smiles, then- Dimitri relaxed and bright eyed, Claude loose and playful. "Now where did you drop the lube?"

It's on the bed, actually, dropped in Dimitri's haste, and Claude casually bosses him around until Dimitri is at one end of the bed and Claude himself is nestled against the now piled up pillows. "For something like that," he says, eyes locked onto Dimitri's cock, "I'm definitely not holding back either... So how about you just sit there." Those eyes of his shine so mesmerizingly. "And I'll give you a show."

Dimitri can't tell if he's grateful that he handed over the bottle of lube, or is fairly certain he's going to be writhing in regret in just a minute.

He's even unsure when Claude leans back, and his legs spread out and out and out, until Dimitri has a complete and unobstructed view of his ass. That he can do that with his legs- "How did you learn to do that?" he breathes, barely able to register how Claude is spreading lube along his fingers.

Claude winks at him. Dimitri thinks he might die from that little action one day. "I have all sorts of secrets you haven't seen yet," he purrs, sliding his hand down the dip of his pelvis. There's no reaction to how his fingers just barely brush along his pert arousal, only the barest of shudders when his thumb grazes heavy balls, but Dimitri drinks it all in regardless, commits it to memory. One day, that will be his hand stroking Claude's thigh, and his fingers tracing the rim of Claude's entrance.

While Dimitri's bed is decently sized, meant for someone of his height and with his broad shoulders... There's still only so much room for the two of them on it, even on separate ends. Dimitri almost feels as though he might fall off the edge of his end, one leg dangling off the side, the other bent upwards with his foot only a scant few inches from Claude's... but he hardly notices.

Not with how Claude smirks at him, morning light casting stripes of gold along his brown skin, drawing the brightness of his eyes into stark brilliance. Not with how he knows how enraptured Dimitri is, drawing his fingertip around his hole before finally, finally, sliding it in. His breath hitches; Dimitri can't tell if it's honest or an act meant to test his self control.

"Is this the first time someone's ever done this sort of thing for you?" Claude asks, almost conversational, as if he doesn't have his finger sliding second knuckle deep into his body. He doesn't sound out of breath, though Dimitri's tongue had been down his throat only a few moments prior.

Dimitri's brain needs a second to process the question. His attention is too ensnared by the way Claude's finger smoothly begins to pump in and out, opening the way for something much larger. "This sort of thing?" he echoes, blinking his way away from the sight so that he can look into Claude's eyes. Something about that - their gazes meeting while Claude readies himself for Dimitri's cock - sends another sharp spark of arousal down his spine and straight up into his own erection. Biting down on his lip, Dimtri begins to grind the heel of his palm along his own thigh.

His impatience only makes Claude smile all the more. "Putting on a show for you," he clarifies, shifting his hips just slightly into the thrust of his own finger. "You know- the foreplay. Mm, now that I think about it, we've had a lot of conversations, on all sorts of things... But sexual experience on both our ends hasn't come up yet."

Ah. He's not wrong, Dimitri can certainly say that much. He laughs a little bit under his breath, trying not to let self-depreciation leak in. "It's not particularly a lot, or very interesting," he says. "But... No. No one has ever done this for me. Frankly, no one has done anything beyond- well, let's merely say that my experiences have been mostly vanilla, as the most accurate term."

That draws out a laugh from Claude, and he slips in another finger with only a slight sigh. "With the way you pinned me down, and the things you said... I have to say that is a surprise. And with the way you look..."

Hearing the words out of Claude's mouth, that he loves his appearance, the things he'd done - that's nice. That's more than nice. So nice that Dimitri doesn't see why he should ruin the moment with his past encounters, whether in talking about the sex or the relationships. There were few of them, so the tale would be short regardless... even without everything else.

Claude seems to sense it, somehow. Maybe it's because of how much time they've spent with one another. Regardless, he grins with his eyes crinkling in delight. "Then that means I get to experience a whole lot of 'firsts' with you. You know, I can't see that being a bad thing."

Just like that, the darker thoughts and memories vanish from his mind, and Dimitri smiles at him. "I can't either," he says, wondering if words alone can really express how glad he is for that fateful day when his tongue made a slip of the heart, when Sylvain meddled even if Dimitri had been upset at the time. Now, if he's lucky, if things keep being this good instead of reality following the worst possibilities his mind can think of...

Maybe his tone does enough where his words fail him, because Claude's gaze softens a little bit. "I already have a hundred ideas of what we can do with each other," he sighs, crooking his fingers where they are in him and jerking as a result. "But for now... I think something plain and quick is much better suited for us." With that, he finally slides a third finger into himself, and this is what finally draws a stronger reaction out of his throat. Cladue tosses his head back with a short gasp, the quiet sound so sharp in Dimitri's silent room.

That's it- he can't take it anymore. With a low frustrated growl under his breath, Dimitri leans forward with his foot pushing himself forward as it digs against the mattress. He has no idea what he's going to do, only it's something, only that it involves touching Claude. Yet even as he reaches to do so, Claude laughs again and repositions his legs so that he can plant the flat of one foot right against Dimitri's chest. "Now now," he says, eyes practically dancing in mirth. "I'm not done yet."

The growl shifts into something maybe more like a whine. "Claude..."

"So impatient!"

"Yes!"

That makes Claude stop again, fingers all the way inside of himself while he turns his head for a rush of laughter. "Well, I can never fault your honesty!" he gasps once he's gotten control of himself again, letting his foot drop down to the bed once again. "Why don't you help, if you want it so badly? Honestly, with how little time we have, it's not a bad idea to start with..."

Hopefully, Dimitri perks up, and he lowers his hand to linger near Claude's ankle. "I wouldn't mind helping," he says, perhaps a little too eagerly. He's just not sure- "How?"

The lube had gotten lost in the pillows once Claude had finished with it. Now, he reaches down for the little bottle again, and winks at Dimitri as he pulls his fingers out of himself. "Your fingers are a little thicker than mine," Claude purrs, reaching for Dimitri with the same hand that was pumping fingers in and out of his body only seconds prior. "Let's put them to good use."

Dimitri isn't a complete stranger to lube, or how to use it. It's just... been a long time. Long enough that it feels almost a little odd to feel the lube slip over his fingers, just distinct enough from water for him to notice the difference right off the bat. Still, it does its job well enough, smearing all along his fingers and dripping down across his palm. Him and Claude are close enough to share breath as he leans in, leaving a wet trail along the inside of Claude's thigh. "Like this?" he murmurs, trapped by Claude's eyes.

"Like that," Claude says encouragingly, shivering when Dimitri's finger brushes against his entrance. He grins. "I've already stretched myself out for you. No need to be shy."

An invitation like that is hard to refuse. Trying to avoid feeling self conscious about so many things lingering in the back of his head, Dimitri pushes his finger in. Claude was right; his body is ready for Dimitri. At least... His fingers, if nothing else. The slide in is smooth and loose, already worked up by three other fingers before his one. It only takes a couple of thrusts inside, Dimtri grinding the pad of his finger up into Claude's body to see him squirm, before he feels bold enough to press a second in. There's a little more resistance, there, but hardly much.

That's the limit Dimitri stops at, just for a moment, scissoring Claude's body further open, teasing him. It's half because it seems like a good time to stop at, but the other half... The other half is because he can't resist Claude when they're so close, noses brushing, Claude's legs brushing against Dimitri's sides and arms.

He presses in, tilting his head to the side, and Claude mirrors him, welcomes his lips pressing closer. It takes a moment for Dimitri to adjust his brain to two different things at once, kissing Claude and fucking him with his fingers, but he manages to get into the rhythm eventually. Of course... Claude helps, eager to cling to him, kiss him, moans when Dimitri's fingers grind into him at the perfect angle.

It's then that Dimitri presses in a third finger, to the sound of Claude's moans, and he ducks his head down. It's heady, feeling Claude gasp into his hair like this, to feel how hot his pulse has gotten when Dimitri presses his lips around Claude's throat. "You're stretching me out so good," he groans while Dimitri works another mark into his skin with lips and teeth. "Better than any toy, I can already tell..."

Pleased, Dimitri lathes his tongue along the mark he's just made. "Like it?" he murmurs, pressing his fingers in until they can't push anymore. It's worth it, to feel the way Claude trembles against him, so eager for it all.

"I love it," Claude says, laughing shakily.

Dimitri thrusts his fingers in a good few more times, feeling how Claude squeezes down on him just for this little. Well, perhaps it may be a little, but it's a little thing his fingers press up against, and which drags out a startled cry of pleasure out of Claude's throat. "Good," he rasps, digging his fingers even more until Claude is squirming underneath him... and then he pulls them out, a slow drag as though he can commit every little bump and curve of Claude's body to memory. "Then.... Can I...?"

With all their repositioning, their kissing, everything else- they've absolutely shifted their position on Dimitri's bed now. Claude is more than fine with that, able to recline back into the pillows with a grin. With how much Dimitri has teased him, kissed him, ground down against his body, Claude is plenty flushed as it is... but Dimitri feels he can make him even more wrecked. He's looking forward to the possibility of dragging him into such a state.

"I think I ought to be all stretched out for your nice and massive cock," Claude purrs, the description which turns Dimitri's entire face red. He reaches down between his legs, fingers stretching out his entrance. "Give me all you got, please."

Really, Claude is too teasing for him to handle. All it takes are those words, the way his fingers pull himself open just for him, and Dimitri is fumbling in his efforts to grab the condom, and then the lube.

Out of both of them, the condom is the hardest one to deal with. His eagerness makes it difficult to focus, and be exact. They taught him how to do this in sex education class, he's had sex, so why is this so hard? After a second, Claude chuckles, leaning over, and it's with those nimble fingers that the condom is dragged snuggly over his cock.

Lube is easier. It's perfectly lukewarm in his hand as he pours the liquid out, and Dimitri digs his teeth into his lip when he draws his hand all along his erection. Eagerness is welling up in him, almost as much as the arousal fueling his cock, but he forces himself to be slow and careful. He makes sure to cover every long inch of himself, not leaving a single thing left dry.

Claude watches with amusement and what Dimitri likes to think is some appreciation. Yet there's no denying the eagerness he feels in turn when Dimitri finally tosses the bottle aside and presses inbetween his legs. Those same legs draw up around Dimitri's torso, heels digging into his back just so, and Dimitri can't resist one more kiss- this time to Claude's face. "Breathe," he murmurs, the head of his cock teasing right at Claude's hole.

Even with preparation, even with lube, Claude is so tight as he presses in, and Dimitri's eyelids flutter. A groan is pulled out of him, right from the very pit of his body, and he has to pause for a second once he's breached just enough in that the head is swallowed up. Claude doesn't make it easy, however. With him right there, stretching the very start of him, grinding into the sensitive nerves of his entrance.... It must drive him up the wall, out of his skin. At least, that's only what Dimitri can assume, considering the high whine that keens out of his throat... and the way his hips roll forward, swallowing up more of the arousal digging into him.

It's too much, too fast, too hot. Dimitri actually snarls from the sensation of it, his hips jerking even further against Claude, and that only makes his boyfriend cry out even further. Mind buzzing with pleasure, intoxicated with it, he reaches down and digs his fingers into Claude's hips. "You," he growls, his heart pounding in his ears, "are too impatient."

Panting, flushed more than Dimitri, Claude gives him a wide if unsteady grin. "Or maybe you're too slow," he teases. Experimentally, he tries to squirm in Dimitri's grasp to eek out even a centimeter more of him, and only squeezes down tighter with a loud gasp when Dimitri presses down even more with his hand to keep him from doing so. "Oh, oh, gods, I love it when you do that, love it when you're so effortlessly strong-"

So he's said, and Dimitri wets his lips. So worked up, he can't help but find it in him to be a little cruel, too, his hesitation leaving him in his rush of feeling and arousal. So he begins to slowly pull himself out, and gives a vicious little grin when Claude protests with a moan and his nails scrambling against Dimitri's back. "I know you do," he says, pulling out until only the tip of him is inside Claude. "You want me to hold you down, take you exactly like this, unable to even think of moving back against me, just lay there and accept every little bit of me that I give you-"

That's exactly when Claude tries to speak up, and when Dimitri thrusts into him, far as he can go before hitting resistance. Claude's answer rises up in a loud cry. "YES!" His fingers latch in deep, no doubt leaving behind marks he'll care about later, later, not now, not when Claude is wracked with pleasure under him. "Yes, yes, gods, I want you to fuck me so hard, I've dreamed about it, you're as big as some toys I've used-"

Another warbling cry, drawn out as Dimitri clumsily thrusts further into him. He needs to find the right angle, the perfect one, even if Claude seems almost satisfied enough just by the girth of him pushing him open more and more. That's fine, that gives him enough time to figure it all out. "Better than your toys, isn't that right?" he asks in demand, working just how he needs to spear into him.

Claude's ankles are going to make permanent grooves in his back, with how much they're pressing down against him. His whole back might end up a tapestry of the things Claude is doing to him, an idea that Dimitri quite likes, even as he listens to the sounds out of Claude's mouth that he might like even more. "Better!" Claude acquiesces to the ceiling, unraveling so neatly in Dimitri's bed. "So much better, gods, Dimitri, deeper-"

So he goes deeper. He goes until Claude is crying out as he drives into that one spot more than soon enough, the size of him making it only a matter of time. He goes until Claude can't form words, can't even beg, until all he can do to communicate his desire is the way he clings to Dimitri and how his erect cock bounces against his stomach every time Dimitri pounds into him.

And it's better than anything else, anyone else, that Dimitri has ever done this with, short as the list may be.

Maybe it's because it's been such a long while for him, how eager Claude has been for this encounter, that they reach their peak together so quickly. Maybe it's because of other things. Dimitri doesn't know, and can't bring himself to care. All that matters to him is the mantra cried out along his ear. The way Claude gasps out how close he is. Those nails digging deep into his shoulders.

Hitting his orgasm is almost dizzying, stars shooting off behind his squeezed shut eyes, and Dimitri continues thrusting only because the momentum seems impossible to stop. Later, when he's not so overwhelmed, he'll be glad for it, glad that he can keep driving that pleasure further into Claude while his boyfriend remembers to reach down between them, grip his release with his own hand. He comes messily across his stomach, crying out against Dimitri's shoulder as he clenches all around him... and then he goes limp.

Dimitri does as well, head bowed against the pillows that wait just past Claude's shoulder, and can only lay there for a moment in the pleasant afterglow. He's sweaty, tired all anew, and can barely think... but he feels nice. Really nice. Claude is still wrapped around him, labored breathing slowly easing up to something more comfortable in turn. Dimitri turns his head to the side, nudging Claude's ear with his nose. "Was that good?" he mumbles, not quite able to raise his voice to proper speaking levels. Probably for the best, right now.

A shaky laugh jitters out from Claude's mouth. "You couldn't tell?" he asks, turning his head as well while his hands smooth over Dimitri's back. "It was good."

"Good." Dimitri sighs, snuggling up more against Claude. With the sweat cooling on his skin, he's starting to feel a little cold. Claude, in contrast, feels like he has all the warmth of a comet. "I liked it."

"Good," Claude echoes, encouraging Dimitri with the way he clings to him. "Mmm, I thought it would take much longer for us to get to this point..."

There's no need to wonder why he'd think that; Dimitri knows how he comes off when he's not just intimidating. Instead, he gives a sheepish little laugh himself. With his arousal fading, something in the pit of him is starting to feel more than a little giddy. "Honestly, it might have," he admits, pressing a kiss against Claude's cheek. A sweet sigh is the reward he gets for his efforts. "I didn't want to seem- too crass? Crude? A, well, a..."

Claude lets him struggle with finding the right words for a moment, before he offers his own suggestion. "A horny pervert?"

Dimitri laughs before he can stop himself, startled, before he ducks his head down against the pillows again with a grin. "Right. I didn't want to come off as a horny pervert. During our first date, even when I was feeling attracted to you, I didn't want to feel like I was rushing you at all. Back then, I was thinking that I'd try to wait at least a year before I made any moves of that nature."

The groan that leaves Claude's mouth is not one of pleasure this time, and highly exaggerated. "Oh, gods, I would have died after a year of being around your muscles, and your cute smiles, and all the cuddling. I wouldn't have lasted, Dimitri. It would have been torture."

Chuckling, Dimitri kisses his cheek again, and feels just how much Claude is grinning for him. "There, there. It clearly didn't happen."

"It certainly didn't." Reaching up, Claude rests his fingers along Dimitri's jaw and gently guides his head until they're in a better position to kiss properly. "Although now I can't help but be curious on what changed your mind."

"You're curious about every single thing in existence, I think."

"Ha! You don't have to point out the truth so bluntly." Claude grins even more, and winks at him. "Was it because I'm too irresistible? Too attractive?"

He's probably not expecting a 'yes' to that question, so Claude's face glows a pleasant red when Dimitri looks him in the eyes with a smile and says earnestly, "You're absolutely beautiful." While Claude tries to figure out a response, he leans down and kisses the spot above his brow. "But I spoke with a friend- with Mercedes- and I was worried that I would be pushing you too much.... That something like that wouldn't be proper, or what you would deserve.

"But talking with her, and your words from before, made me realize... It's not a necessarily a bad thing, to fall for you so quickly. I mean, it can be, certainly... But then I thought of you. How you've been so patient, and how you've always been considerate of me, never pushing, always backing off when things felt like they may be too much..." Adjusting his arms, Dimitri threads his fingers through Claude's hair. "When I thought about it like that, I realized it would be alright if I took off running with you."

Claude's face is still pleasantly red as he looks up at him, but he's smiling, too. Dimitri would never say that he's an expert in the many different types of smiles that Claude can make... but he's definitely an enthusiast in them, if nothing else, and he adores the kind of Claude's face now: the type that reaches his eyes, that makes his whole person glow. "Who would have thought that such a prince charming was waiting behind the face of a guy who was giving a death glare to everyone in a tiny little cafe, the first time I met him," he murmurs.

Alright, that- maybe he could have done without that. Dimitri bites his lower lip. "I'm still terribly sorry about that." A pause, and he smiles around the teeth he has digging down. "...You think I'm a prince charming?"

Laughing again, Claude peppers kisses along his face. "My very own," he whispers fondly, smiling against Dimitri's skin. "I didn't actually think a guy like you existed for me out there in the great big world, you know? I didn't even realize you were my type. But I have to say... Out of everyone I've ever dated, I've never felt as secure as when I'm with you. As safe or treasured." He chuckles, threading his fingers through Dimitri's hair as well, enjoying the way it slides between his fingers. "It's enough to make a guy believe in fairy tale endings, although that's certainly a claim to make when we've only been dating for so long, huh? It makes me a little worried."

"Because it's too good to be true?" Dimitri offers, brow drawing together in understanding even as he continues to smile. "I know how that feels... It nagged at me ever since our first date. But... Even if that's how it feels..." He gently taps their foreheads together. "I think the only way we can learn if it's too good or not is to keep stepping forward with one another, and keep holding on while we can."

"Such a sweetheart," Claude chuckles, letting his fingers rest along the nape of Dimitri's neck. For a second, they stay like that, holding onto one another, basking in warmth and sweetness. Yet after a few seconds of that, Claude speaks up again. "You know, you're still balls deep in me."

Jolting, Dimitri pushes himself up properly and looks between them. "Oh- I'm so sorry, just, hold on- please remove your legs around me, Claude. We- we should absolutely take a shower before the others get here, I can only imagine how little time we have left."

Back to his usual playful grin, Claude goes along with the request, and only shivers a little bit when Dimitri pulls out. "Got too wrapped up in the moment, I take it?" he chuckles, pushing himself up into a sitting position. When he sees Dimitri floundering on what to do with the very full condom, he offers out his hand. "Here, let me take care of it."

Even as he hands it over, Dimitri can't help be a little worried. "Don't do anything- debauched with it. I can barely handle you as you are."

Claude nearly falls over laughing, and almost loses his hold on the condom while he's at it. "Oh, you don't have to worry," he snickers, righting himself up. "This is our first time together. I'll be vanilla. Just watch." In contrast to Dimitri's floundering, Claude's fingers move smoothly as he ties the top of the condom into a neat little knot.

It's probably not the kind of thing Dimitri should be impressed about, but he nonetheless makes a small noise of approval. "Your fingers are so- accurate." Which is probably a strange adjective to use, but it's the one that seems most applicable to the situation. "I tried to tie one, once, but I tore right there and- well." He coughs into his fist and looks away, embarrassed. "...There was a mess, lets just put it that way."

Claude at least tries to muffle his laughter. "Well, don't worry." Tossing the condom carelessly into a small trash can by the desk, Claude grins over his shoulder at him. "As long as you're dating me, I'll gladly take over all condom disposal duties. Now let's get up and go wash ourselves off. I think we could both use it, before everyone gets back." But the moment he gets onto his feet, Claude makes a low groan in the back of his throat and braces his hands at the small of his back, stretching. "Whoo. I'm definitely going to be feeling your cock for a while."

He was already feeling embarrassed about the condom thing. Dimitri thinks he might be in the perfect condition to die, like this. "I am so sorry," he repeats, scrambling up to his feet. "Hold on- Do you want to borrow more of my clothes? They should be more comfortable than what you wore last night- I'll get towels-"

Before he can go rushing around too much, Claude presses a hand against his arm. "It's not a bad thing," Claude says, eyes sparkling. "I'm going to like having a little bit of ache from how much you stretched me open. It's not enough to hurt, but enough for me to remember how nice this morning was. You don't have to get apologetic, Dimitri." He winks. "Although if you really insist on making things up to me, can I make a request and ask that you pick me up in those strong arms of yours on the way to the shower?"

If there's one thing Dimitri is learning, it's that Claude teasing him is strangely calming. At least, it brings him down to earth, and he's reminded a little bit of the way Sylvain distracts him in much the same manner. Pausing, he chuckles. "You really do like the build of my body, don't you...?" Still, after he retrieves some spare clothing for both of them, he obligingly leans down and encourages Claude's arms around his neck. It only takes a little bit of instruction before he lifts Claude up smoothly. His weight in Dimitri's arms is a comfort.

Claude winks at him again. "I don't know who has the bad sense not to find your body attractive," he purrs, getting the door for him since Dimitri's hands are rather full, needless to say.

Peeking to make sure the rest of the apartment is still silent and thus empty, Dimitri shakes his head before stepping out into the hallway. "That's just your preference," he says, although he has to admit the compliment has him smiling. He's had people comment on him before, while working out at the gym... but there's something different when the words are coming out of Claude's mouth. As they step into his bathroom, something suddenly occurs to Dimitri, and he perks up. "Oh!"

Claude glances up at him curiously, even as Dimitri puts him down on his own two feet. "What's up?"

"It's just-" Dimitri tries to reign in his excitement, although he knows Claude won't judge. It's just that he feels a little silly, getting so worked up about something like this. "I've never had a shower with someone before. It's- I suppose I could say it is something I'm looking forward to."

Grinning, Claude stands on the tips of his toes and presses a kiss to his jaw. "You're adorable," he says. "Although it might be different than whatever you've been imagining."

"Regardless, at least I'll have experienced it for myself." Leaning down, Dimitri kisses him on the cheek right back. Maybe it's just the good feelings that come in the afterglow, but he simply can't keep his hands off of him, or his lips. "Honestly... I'm excited that there's a lot of things that I... can experience with you, that I've never had a chance to with anyone else."

Claude's eyes light up in that neverending curiosity. "Really?"

Shyly, Dimitri nods. "Even that slightly- rougher side of me was something I've never really gotten to try with other people. And, well. I would be a liar if I tried to say that I hadn't thought of other things. I've simply... never been with someone to try them before. Not like I've been with you, for this long..."

Looking as soft as Dimitri's heart feels, Claude traces his fingers through Dimitri's hair. "Hey, that's half the fun of being in a relationship, isn't it? Whenever you wnat to try something... You let me know."

Hearing those words... They make his heart turn, and he turns his head to smile against Claude's wrist before stepping away. It's right as he's turning on the shower to let it heat up that something pings his memory, and Dimitri looks over his shoulder. Claude is already rummaging through his towels. "Oh, but- I'll have to clean my- well." He gestures to his right eye. Well, the prosthetic that acts as his right eye. "I usually take this out when I shower, and clean it afterwards... It's due for that. But I can do that after you're done."

Taking the clothing from Dimitri, Claude drops them on his toilet lid and drops the towels onto those. "I mean, I won't lie that it might be strange to see," Claude points out, reaching up to tug Dimitri's head down for another kiss. "But you have a fake eye?"

"Oh, yes." Dimitri taps underneath his right one. "Keeping the socket empty can lead to some... structural issues. But I usually prefer to wear the eyepatch over it regardless."

"I see." Claude nods, sharp and quick. Decisive. "Well, if you wouldn't be too self conscious about it, then I promise I wouldn't make it too weird."

Faintly, Dimitri remembers that he'd made a similar sort of promise back on their first date, in regards to his schizophrenia. The reminder has him smile a little bit, although it hangs awkwardly on his lips. "I don't think I will ever be anything but self conscious when it comes to this... but it might be nice, to simply have someone around. Who knows? Perhaps it will help me be less self conscious. I simply request that you not look, when I have to put it back in my socket again."

"No worries, I won't peek." And he says it so honestly, too, no teasing or anything. Although there's still some lingering curiosity. "Although I am curious - the eye looks fine to me. Is there a reason you prefer to cover it up?"

"Oh, no, it's fairly decent, really. I simply don't like the way it looks."

Dimitri is expecting to explain himself, on that one. He's had to in the past, after all, even to his oldest friends at first. Certainly to the few other people he's grown to know that eventually learn of the fact, who never really stuck around. Doesn't he want to look normal again? Doesn't he want to not get strange looks due to wearing an eyepatch? And, well, he can't lie, not having people look at him all the time would be nice, but...

But it doesn't feel right.

"Other people's comfort doesn't have to supersede your own," the Byleths told him, once, when he kept cannibalizing himself so that other people wouldn't look at him badly. It had taken a while for the message to stick, of course, but, well... He'd listened. He let himself wear the eyepatch.

Claude doesn't ask him to explain himself. Claude just nods, as if that's all that needs to be said, and sticks his hand into the shower stall to check the temperature. "Hey, sometimes that's how it is," he says, perfectly conversational. "Anyway, looks like the shower should be hot enough." He flashes Dimitri a grin. "Ready for the first of many experiences between the two of us?"

...Oh.

Feeling the tension that had been clutching his heart ebb away, Dimitri smiles back. "Absolutely."





By the time the others come back, Claude has been lovingly bundled in a couple of nice and thick blankets on the couch, and he grins out of them while just brimming with self satisfaction. Unsurprisingly, Lorenz pauses to squint over at him incredulously, but there's also Felix heading to the kitchen with the expression of someone who Does Not Want To Know but has sort of surrendered himself to the terrible reality that he's gonna. Everyone else just sort of filters in, Raphael and Ingrid and Ignatz and Sylvain. "What are you doing?" Lorenz finally asks, because he never can leave well enough alone.

"I'm in a delicate condition," Claude drawls, grinning over at Sylvain when the redhead raises an eyebrow over at him.

Lorenz makes a small noise of disbelief. "You say that every time it's even mildly cold," he scolds, putting down groceries onto the counter. The sound of conversation has drawn out Dimitri from the upper portions of his apartment, a bag in his hands from when he'd decided to start cleaning up early. He hasn't seemed to have realized just where this conversation could go, or what it's about.

Sylvain does, however, eyes lighting up even before Claude slyly grins. "Oh, but my good Lorenz, I'm not the one who insisted on this. Dimitri did, as a matter of fact."

He doesn't plan on saying things outright, but then Sylvain is circling around the couch to kneel at his side with one arm going around Claude's shoulders. "C'mon, guys, have some sympathy," he coos, absolutely living for this entire situation almost as much as Claude himself is. Dimitri has paused on the last step of his stairs, with the realization of a cat that's heard something off. "He really is in a delicate situation. I mean, just think about it."

"What are you talking about, Sylvain?" Ingrid says impatiently, drawing out a coffee maker- oh, it's a pretty nice one, too, he thought Dimitri didn't do coffee- out from the cupboards.

"I'm just saying," Sylvain says, smugly. "He's delicate. All the more delicate when he's sporting a pair of hickeys I'm stunned no one else has picked up, considering how many of them there are-" And that's around the time Dimitri leaps from the bottom step, crashes into the back of the couch, and shoves his hand right over Sylvain's mouth.

A more sensible or clever person would deny the claims, or at least not make things worse for themselves. Dimitri, too earnest and definitely too flustered, does not fit those descriptions, and he stammers, "There aren't THAT many, Sylvain!" It takes him a second to realize he's confirmed what could have been brushed off as just teasing... And Dimitri pulls his hand back to press both of his over his face.

"Claude!" Lorenz groans, pinching the bridge of his nose, at the exact same time that Ingrid snaps, "Sylvain!"

Hilariously enough, no one yells at Dimitri even once.

Oh, sure, Ignatz goes a little pink himself and aggressively ignores eye contact. Some of the others from down the hall have started to filter in around this time, with some of them having apparently just overheard the conversation, too, if Ashe and Marianne's own pinks faces are any indication.

And then you have guys like Raphael, who takes a second to realize the implications of a hickey'd up Claude wrapped up in blankets, whose only reaction is to brighten and give a big ol' thumbs up. "Congrats, you two!" he says cheerfully, while Ignatz only goes even redder besides him.

Still covering his face, Dimitri slowly moves around the couch until he can move into a crouch, and leans forward until his head is bumping against Claude's knees. "Why must I continuously embarrass myself," he mutters, voice more than a little muffled considering how much he's trying to suffocate himself in Claude's blanket.

Sylvain chuckles and pushes himself up onto his feet, giving a firm pat to Dimitri's shoulders as he passes. "Hey, don't worry about it, Dimitri," he says, swanning back into the kitchen with total confidence despite how Ingrid looks like she's going to take a frying pan to him. "Honestly, none of us should be surprised that the two lovebirds got frisky staying the night. And who's gonna judge you?" He gestures to himself with a loud laugh. "I mean, you're not me, the hugest slut in the room, so who am I to judge?"

Before he can give one more chuckle, Raphael squeezes through the far-too-small amount of space in the kitchen and smacks one large hand down onto Sylvain's shoulder so hard that the redhead nearly buckles under it. "Nah," Raphael says simply, still wearing that lovely beaming grin of his that Claude loves so much.

Even at the awkward angle that comes with watching from the couch, Claude can see how Sylvain's smile has awkwardly frozen in place from sheer confusion. "Sorry, nah what?"

"Nah, you don't have to talk about yourself like that," Raphael says, continuing with that same upfront good nature that bulldozes past conversation and common sense alike.

Sylvain, not ever having had a chance to realize this beforehand, tries regardless. "Oh, ha ha, that. It's just a joke, big guy-"

"Nope," Raphael says determinedly, still out-sunning the sun. "You're a good guy, Sylvain, who made really good food and helped out folks in the party, so you don't gotta talk about yourself like that." He gives another clap to Sylvain's shoulder, threatening to send him down through the floor into the apartment beneath Dimitri's. With that pep talk cheerfully given, he turns around to finish unpacking the rest of what could be arguably called groceries. "Now let's eat!"

The entire time throughout this, Felix has swtiched from loathing the conversation being about Dimitri's dick, and instead has perked up like a cat spotting a mouse, watching this exchange intently. Sylvain himself hardly seems to know what to do in the aftermath, just standing there with a couple of bewildered blinks. Leonie, who's learned to ignore all sorts of bullshit while being in their circle of friends, claps her hands together. "Okay, let's stop talking about Claude's dick-"

Raising his eyebrows, Claude rustles his hand out from his blankets and delicately places his fingertips upon his chest. Dimitri still has his face hidden against his knees. "Leonie! Excuse you!"

She rolls her eyes fondly. "I'm sorry. Can we stop talking about your ass?"

They absolutely cannot, because Annette seems to suddenly realize something, and she gasps. "Oh, but, earlier-" She smacks her own two hands over her mouth even as she looks over to where Dedue and Mercedes are drawing out various pans and a waffle iron, and Claude realizes immediately what she had been about to say. After all, while Lorenz and Sylvain and more than a few others had gone out grocery shopping, that hadn't mean everyone had... and no one had exactly locked the door behind them.

Claude actually starts to feel maybe a few ounces of embarrassment himself. It's one thing to joke about how much he's gotten laid, or getting laid at all, because those are just words in the end. It's an entirely different thing to know that someone might have stumbled upon the scene and overheard him getting laid. Claude is not a quiet person in bed. At least, not without preparing himself first.

Holding back the urge to fidget, Claude instead gets himself onto his feet so that he can wander into the kitchen with the blankets still around his shoulder. Not completely inside, just enough to, you know. Speak a little quieter while the rest of the apartment starts to fill up with noise which acts as a very convenient cover. Dimitri trails after him, apparently more for lack of any other idea on what to do. That's fine. Claude clears his throat.

"So, uh, Dedue, Mercedes, I don't suppose you two... heard anything, did you?" This is what finally gets Dimitri to jolt up, looking even more horrified to the point that he's utterly silent with it.

Mercedes presses her finger to her cheek, humming thoughtfully. "Now, did we hear anything?" she asks thoughtfully as she looks up to her taller boyfriend. From anyone else, Claude would think that she's drawing out the moment for his and Dimitri's suffering.

She's not. Of course she's not, it's Mercedes. This is proven when Dedue looks away from some flour they've gathered and says, with a completely straight face for something that Claude suspects is an outright lie, "We heard absolutely nothing."

Dimitri moves around Claude, into the kitchen that is becoming more cramped by the second, and just hugs Dedue so tightly it's amazing that bones don't break, hiding his face in his best friend's shoulder. Not that Claude can blame him. A friend like that, you keep.

"Alright, we're moving on!" Ingrid announces loudly, looking just as strained as some of the other people stuck in this apartment. "Can we please get started with making breakfast? And no one talk about anyone's sex life while we're eating! Claude."

"Hey, Sylvain was the one who brought it up in the first place! Yell at him, not me."

But they all manage to get breakfast pulled together eventually, with most of the credit going to Dedue and Mercedes who seem happy to take up the work. It's a good breakfast, a real spread that manages to feed over half a dozen people, but there's a reason that they all went out grocery shopping. Lorenz also manages to show off his stuff, because he's just that kind of person. Fortunately, being that kind of person means showing off with homemade iced lattes. Not just any iced lattes, because this is Lorenz "yes his middle name is Hellman" Glouchester, but lavender iced lattes, with actual homemade lavender syrup.

Needless to say, it's a great start to a great morning.

Breakfast is full of relaxed chatter as they all stay squeezed into Dimitri's apartment, with most of them having woken up at this point thanks to either going out on a grocery run, accidentally hearing things they were never intended to hear, or just because it's gotten to be late enough in the day. It's a breakfast that results in dragging out a little longer than breakfast regularly would, but, well. None of them really mind that much.

After breakfast, there's of course the cleaning up of Dimitri's apartment to take care of, which is certainly a task to accomplish when there's so many of them and only so much room in the space. Fortunately, there are ways to thin out the crowd.

Ashe and Mercedes are the first ones to clear out, wanting to bake some muffins and cupcakes for the various neighbors around Dimitri's apartment so that there's more of a guarantee that no one complains about their party. Which, ah, that certainly explains what Annette had meant when she'd referenced bribery. The same tactic must have been used before last night. Speaking of Annette, she's more than happy to be their ambassador of baked goods for the complex, and Ignatz seems more than happy to assist her.

Lorenz and Marianne also bounce out, but because they're interested in cleaning an entirely different space- Team DAAM's apartment, which they stayed the night over at. It's only proper, at least in the eyes of a pair of very proper and appreciative people. Perhaps if it was only Marianne, she'd waver in the face of Mercedes telling them there's no need to.... But the good news is that she's with Lorenz, who's so pushy that most people just give up in the face of him.

And who knows? After dating Leonie and being bossed around by her in turn, he might even know how to clean an apartment properly. Claude certainly knows him and Hilda haven't let him skimp by in their own place.

So that's a not insignificant chunk of people removed from Dimitri's place, giving them a little more breathing room. Everyone splits up to take on a different chunk of the apartment in chunks, although not before Felix drags him away towards the present pile that's been quietly left ignored in the corner. Claude's been keeping an eye on it ever since Dimitri insisted on carrying him out to the couch in the first place, wondering if Dimitri would ever eventually address it.

The answer is apparently only if his friends force him to, at least while there's company. Felix's sole motivation is just to get Dimitri to take out the CD he got for him of what Claude can only assume is a favorite band between the two of them judging by the excited way they gush over it in a corner with their heads bowed together.

Honestly, sometimes Claude can really get Felix's appeal, and see why Sylvain is so absolutely dumbly infatuated with him. It doesn't make up for the secondhand embarrassment he suspects is in his future, but he does get it.

Soon, all of them are cleaning to the sounds of hard rock, chatting over the sounds of two different vacuums ("I told you I sometimes break things and like to have spares," Dimitri had admitted sheepishly) and calling out to one another across the apartment. Floors are cleaned, dishes are washed, beds are put away, and Hilda manages to find maintenance in order to convince them to hand over a ladder so that nerf darts can be fetched from the ceiling.

With Dimitri's fussing, Claude is sure that he could be allowed to just lay on the couch for a nice long while if he really wanted. But he only indulges that for maybe a grand total of sixty seconds before he's up on his own two feet, wiping down the tables they had all used both last night and the morning they've all had. While he may let most people think he's relaxed and just around for a good time, well, he doesn't like lounging around while others are working, either. Especially not when those other people are his friends.

Needless to say, with so many hands on deck, they make record time in making Dimitri's apartment probably the cleanest it's ever been, save for his bedroom which remains off limits. They're just in time for what's probably a pretty late lunch, digging into the many left overs from the party. There's not enough to fully satisfy some of the big stomachs they have in the building - not that he's naming any names of course - but it's enough for sixteen people to happily eat while they continue talking.

It's honestly a lot. Sixteen people, all in the same place, interacting as much as they do? And yet, even though Claude objectively knows that, knows that even an extrovert like him would be exhausted if this were literally any other group of people... There's just something so nice and familiar about all of them together like this. Eating meals together, bonding, teasing Lorenz's fussiness or asking about Annette's singing- it feels like something so natural that Claude almost can't imagine anything else.

Dedue, Annette, Ashe, Mercedes - they all seem utterly used to it. Claude wonders faintly, over freshly made bread courtesy of Mercedes, on if this is how they feel every morning with each other.

Unlike Team DAAM, however, most everyone else here has their own homes to get back to sooner or later, and they all begin to filter out. Much like when he'd arrived, Claude opts to leave alongside Hilda. Most of Team DAAM has returned to their own apartment, and Felix and Sylvain have left on their own too.

In Claude's circle, the only people still hanging around are Raphael, Ignatz, and Marianne. Raphael is Ignatz's ride home, of course, so that's no surprise to see him still staying behind with Raphael having insisted on helping Dimitri with the dishes. Marianne is the surprise, but maybe not as much of one. After all, Ingrid seems to be just as much of a horse girl, and Claude can only imagine the conversation that has engrossed the two of them so much. They almost don't look up when Claude and Hilda give their good byes and head off back for their apartment.

Snow is still visible on the ground outside of the apartment, and Claude shrinks back into his coat with a drawn out whine. Everything had been so cozy and comfy in Dimitri's apartment that he'd forgotten just what cursed season it is. "Uuuuugh. I should have asked Dimitri if I could just stay with him forever. I could sleep until it's spring again. Other animals get to hibernate, so why not humans?"

"I'd ask why you're so dramatic, but this really is the worst," Hilda groans, wrapping her arms around her tightly. "I think the heating in his apartment is better than ours..."

"Of course his apartment is better than ours. I'm pretty sure the brick they used to build our apartment complex was taken from old castles and given barely better electrical systems." Claude laughs a little bit, glancing around.

It's a little quieter than it was the night before, with probably plenty of people still sleeping off hangovers and the like from their own parties... But it's still the city in the end, and late enough in the day for streets to be filled and stores to be open. It's a good reminder. Claude feels like being in Dimitri's apartment with all of their friends could have made its own little universe separate from everything else.

Maybe Hilda is picking up on the fond thoughts rolling through his head, because she glances over at him. "You know, while you made it out to just be this huge joke... I've said it before, but you do seem pretty serious about this guy. More than I've seen you be serious on probably a million years worth of dates."

"We haven't known each other that long," Claude says with a chuckle. "Maybe 500 years, tops." But she's right, of course, and he puffs out a small cloud of hot air. "I definitely want to be serious... And, honestly, I don't think Dimitri knows how to be anything but. He's one of those guys who makes a commitment once he's dating, you know...?" Claude laughs again. "The exact opposite of me. But then, I guess that's the thing that attracts me to him in the first place."

"You know, when people say opposites attract, they're usually full of it."

"That's because they're thinking of exact opposites."

"And he's not your exact opposite? I mean..." Hilda leans in against him and dramatically stage whispers at him. "He's super white, Claude."

Fuck- Claude bursts out cackling, almost veering into the road if not for Hilda's guiding hand. "You're just as white!" he howls once he manages to get enough air in him to form words. "Hilda, you are an incredibly white girl."

"Yeah, but I'm cute, and I feel like that's a point in my favor," she says, even as she grins right back at him.

"Dimitri's also pretty cute," Claude counters, eye shining as they turn down the street where their subway station is. "He's especially cute when he's all wide eyed, hair dripping around his face, giving me this adorable smile..."

Hilda shakes her head, groaning in exaggeration. "Oh no, you showered with him. Of course you did. Well, I'm cute in a different way. A cute girl way. Marianne was right in that he's cute in a huge dog way." While Claude laughs at that description, because it's not wrong, Hilda hums. "So how long until things become even... more, I guess? You two have already gotten pretty deep."

Now that's one of the questions, isn't it? Claude hums, hand to the railing as the two of them make their way down into the subway depths. "Honestly... I have no idea. I know what things I want to happen between us before we get any deeper into some things... But I'm fine with letting them happen on their own time, naturally. I might want them to happen really soon, while things are still early on, but I know better than to push for it." Claude chuckles. "That's the benefit of having dated a lot, I guess. I'm just full of wisdom."

"I guess that comes with experience, or something." Hilda shrugs, sliding her pass through the machine and heading through the gates first. "So what things do you want to happen between the two of you?"

"Well, while it's not something that needs to happen, and I'd be pleased if it didn't, I wouldn't mind us having an argument."

Hilda outright stops in place to turn and give him a blank stare. It gets worse when Claude passes her, grinning widely. "Honestly, you're the only kind of person I know that would say he hopes for an argument in his romantic life," Hilda sighs, following after him. They have a few minutes before their train rolls in, it seems, so the two of them drape themselves across a spare bench. "Alright, I know how you love to play your game. Tell me why you want an argument to pop up."

"Hey, it's not like I would love it if it happened," Claude says, rolling his head back to rest along the bench. "But listen... Every single date I've had with Dimitri has been fantastic. I might even go so far as to say every moment we've spent together has been fantastic."

"They better have been, you just got railed like you've been dreaming of for months."

A happy little sigh slides out from Claude. "I sure did," he coos, still feeling the bruises on his hips whenever he shifts and his pants rub up against the marks. He's looking forward to how his morning showers will be for probably a good week or so, where he can look in their mirror and, with a little standing on his tip toes, see the reminders of just what he and Dimitri got to do with one another. He'd gotten a little glimpse of it, when him and Dimitri had been drying off, but the bruises haven't had time to really darken yet. He's looking forward to that which, yeah, he guesses might make him a little masochistic.

Mostly Claude just likes having something to remember today by.

Hilda is rolling her eyes, so Claude figures he better keep on going. You know, answer her actual question. "Anyway, like I was saying. Everything has been fantastic, and I'm not upset about that or anything. However... Things aren't always going to be dreamy and rose colored." Raising a hand, he waggles it a little in the air. "We're in our honeymoon period, where everything is new and fun and exciting. We're going on dates, inviting each other to parties, having sex that is only guaranteed to get better... But there's more than just the honeymoon period when it comes to dating."

And there's their train, rolling into place. Their conversation is put on hold, with the two of them quickly surveying the state of the car and what seats are available. So long living in a city like this, and one gains experience on just how to ride through the tunnels with minimum disaster and weirdness. Once they've settled in the most tactical spots available, Claude keeps going.

"Eventually, that passion is going to ease up. We'll see more unpleasant things, whether that's just a gross habit that becomes obvious with time, rough patches, previously endearing traits that we see the flip side of..." Claude shakes his head, puffing out a breath that makes his bangs flutter. He doesn't have any of his hair supplies at Dimitri's place, and Dimitri is obviously not that kind of stylist himself.

"Before we start getting more involved with each other, start making these huge big steps beyond just the usual dates, I don't think it would be a bad thing if we experienced something like all that with each other. Or maybe just one of us having a bad time, and how we would cope with that for the other person. It will be a good test to see that there's more to this than just... a whirlwind passion."

It makes perfect sense to him, in his head. Hilda seems to disagree, judging by the flat look she's giving him before it shifts into something more fondly and sympathetically exasperated. "Oh boy," she says. "Here we go again."

"Not a great plan of action, I take it?" he asks. "Well, you know I'm always open for constructive criticism." If he'll listen to it, well, that's another matter entirely... but Claude can admit that his view of this is a little bit biased, to say the least. He's in too deep, and so being objective is made all the harder.

Sighing, Hilda makes one long smooth gesture with both her hands that goes from the top of her pretty pink head and sweeps down in the direction of her shoes. "Okay, I'm only putting on my great advice gown just for you, okay? Because we're such fantastic friends. So I'll tell you the most obvious thing that sometimes you really need to be reminded of." She points a manicured nail right at his nose. "You're overplanning."

"I'm overplanning?" Claude actually has to laugh a little at that, not because it's actually funny, but because he can't help the disbelief. "Honestly, I feel like I haven't planned enough in our relationship." Dimitri has been the one who's planned most of their dates, Dimitri who's actually been spontaneous in their outings such as when he suggested going to the Day of the Dead event or when he burst in to ask Claude to go ice skating.

It's been nice in a lot of ways, sure. Claude can admit that he has so much on his plate as it is. He may not be a manager in the Golden Deer, but he's the guy a lot of the others look to when a machine breaks or a customer tries to get their shitty way or just... when things go wrong. Then there's all his work with running their band. If he's not a manager for the Golden Deer, then he more than makes up for that there. Organizing meet ups and practice, making sure there are spare instruments or parts no matter who comes or what happens, keeping a finger on the pulse of the city to see what needs attention drawn to it, making sure everyone is working together smoothly.....

His dates with Dimitri have been nice breaks in all of it. Yet the longer they go on...

Hilda flicks some stray curl from his face. "And there it is! There's your problem. You're sooooo used to having your fingers involved in every step of the way! I mean, you were talking about how some traits can turn ugly after you've been with someone long enough, right?" She pulls back, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Well, I wouldn't call it ugly, but there's the problem with your curiosity. I guess when it's near and dear to your heart, you can't just let it go. You want to know everything, for better or worse." She grins at him, leaning against the car window. "Or are you going to tell me I'm wrong?"

He needs a minute to give her an answer. All Claude can do is blink at her a few times as this complete read on his character sinks in. "Jeez, Hilda. I'd say give me warning next time, but I suppose you technically did, huh?"

Winking, Hilda curves her fingers into a heart right over her chest. "I'm just that generous!"

That makes him smile again, and Claude lets his gaze drift away. "After all that... I guess I really can't say that you're wrong. I like him so much, everything's been so great, and so it feels like something is going to go wrong any day now... It feels like just a matter of 'when'. I don't know what to do about that."

Hilda hums. "Isn't the answer pretty obvious?"

"I think if it were obvious, I'd have noticed it by now," Claude points out, amused. "So please enlighten us plebs."

"Just ignore it."

"....Alright, that wasn't the answer I was expecting."

Hilda gives him a sidelong grin. "I'm being serious! Whenever you have that feeling that things are going to go wrong, or feel like something has to go wrong before you can move onto the next step, just ignore it."

Leaning forward, Claude places his elbow against his thigh and rests his cheek in his hand. "Is it really that easy?" he asks dryly. "I'm pretty sure that's not how the brain works, Hilda."

"Boo." She waves her hand through the air. "Just repeat what I told you, or call me if that doesn't work." There's another grin. "Write it down on your arm if you need to! But while you're right that it's important to know all parts of the relationship, and that love is a choice after all the passion eases up on you... I think it's alright if you let yourself let that happen when it happens. Until then, you can just relax and enjoy what Dimitri will more than gladly give you, including happiness."

A beat, and then Hilda leans in with a grin. "And that dick."

Claude leans back with a grin of his own. "Oh, definitely that dick." Still, Hilda always does know the way to cheer him up, and he settles back into his seat with a chuckle. "Anyway... I guess you're right. I'm working myself up with things that are just hypotheticals, 'maybe this will happen', that sort of thing. But hoo.... It's going to be tough, convincing my brain that maybe sometimes things can be alright without my own meddling. Since when did you get so clever about this sort of thing, Hilda?"

In no time at all, their stop is coming up, and Hilda lightly pats him on the back as the two of them stand. "A woman's intuition," she says coyly. "And also having actual experience with relationships that get this far and intense. I've been lucky."

"Ah, our lovely Marianne." Hopping off of the train, Claude grins. "I guess there really are benefits to dating for a long while, besides all the really obvious ones like being with someone you love." Turning a little more sly, he waits for Hilda at the bottom of the stairs leading upwards to the street. "And now you're trying to lure one of Dimitri's friends in with your wiles too. You cunning fox."

"You say it like I'm doing something awful," Hilda says, fluttering her eyelashes. "I'm giving Ingrid the joy of me and Marianne's company, that's all! Besides, you've seen how her and Marianne get along so well. We need a nice strong girl to look after the two of us! With muscular arms, and a cute way of blushing when she's complimented, and how nice her fingers are in our hair..."

Careful not to slip on some snow sticking to the top steps, Claude laughs again. "Well, I wish you the best of luck in impressing her. I'm starting to notice a trend in Dimitri's childhood friends, including Dimitri, and it's that they're all a little slow on the uptake sometime."

"Ooooh my god, right? Like Sylvain and Felix were just embarrassing..."

Gossiping about other people's romance lives is definitely one way to perk Claude up, and it's a conversation that lasts them the short distance back to their own apartment. Lorenz will probably take forever getting back, not until it's properly night at the very least. Leonie never lets him get away with doing more work or fussing than is absolutely necessary. And with Leonie, well, there's hardly any reason to worry about her getting overly fussed over. Claude rather likes that about her.

After spending a night and a day at Dimitri's place, three meals worth of it, it's almost a little funny coming back to their cramped apartment barely meant for three and a fake skeleton. Hilda immediately bounces back to her room, to flop onto her bed and decompress. She has the right idea, too. They both may be people people, extroverts who love learning and meeting new people for entirely different reasons, but, well... Everyone needs a while to recover from a big party like that.

That leaves Claude with the rest of the apartment all to himself, from his room to the kitchen to the living space. He's more than happy to take advantage of this fact, turning on some fun festive music as the backdrop to making spiced hot chocolate. Their own special little blend, made with things filched from the Golden Deer. Eventually, after flicking through games so old that they could be allowed part time jobs, he picks on an old favorite. Just something nice and relaxing.

Like spending millions of chocolate money to customize a garden for finicky creatures that then get shot through a cannon to participate in parties where they should technically be beaten alive but come back perfectly happy and whole. Viva Pinata is such a bizarre game when one thinks about it too deeply. Claude loves it.

While he starts up an entirely new garden for the hell of it, raising up a small army of little pinata caterpillars, Claude allows the steady routine of it to wash him off and away. Sure, he's pretty sure him and Lorenz have their own much more advanced save files for this game. In fact, he's pretty sure Lorenz has a garden that's stupidly expensive, far more than Claude has ever bothered to go. Domestic games like this where he gets to fuss over a 'creature' and be as bossy as he likes? That's catnip to a guy like Lorenz.

But Claude doesn't want to think too deeply right now. All he wants to do is go through the simple beginnings, and occasionally reach down to rub his fingers against the bruises blossoming on his hips. Like this, he can let his thoughts roll and twist at their own pace as he takes in, well... Everything. What isn't there to think over?

Because even the party itself is something he wants to turn over in his head now that it's all said and done with, its revelers stuffed to the brim with excellent food and now all undoubtedly lounging around somewhere comfortable. But when it had been happening, when he'd been in the thick of it... Hadn't it felt so much better than most other parties Claude has ever gone to in his life? Which he supposes is certainly a thing to wonder with his current activity, he reflects in amusement, sending off a bird to one of many parties that it will somehow return from.

....In his head - in the rosy, idealized, optimistic fantasy he can entertain for just this moment - Claude almost wishes he could have said the opposite for himself instead of the same. That he could have gone to Dimitri's party and just stayed in his apartment forever, that it could be his future. He thinks of the planning, the way Dimitri surely has fussed about disturbing their neighbors, about Annette coming over for a cooking disaster. He thinks of how happy they'd both been, surrounded by fun and food and friends.

He thinks of falling asleep in Dimitri's arms, not for the first time, and how he's yet to get tired of it.

He thinks of waking up in Dimitri's arms, knowing he's warm and loved, cared for, adored.

Of course, when he thinks about it for too long and doesn't cut himself off, well, there creep in the worried thoughts. He long ago decided he was going to live... Well, he'd lie to grease some wheels, use charisma to get his way, but Claude has never planned on changing the fundamental parts of himself. His curiosity, or his passion.... Yet he's had more than one date tell him those were too much. He was too nosy, too educated, too much. To him, well, Claude thinks they've always just been indicators to how unused to an existence like his other people are. There's no way he's ever changing himself.

But... Hilda is right. Even if he never changes himself, he has to be aware of how some traits can be like a cliff: breathtaking view, perfect as it is, but maybe he should make sure he doesn't end up falling right off his life because of it.

....Dimitri has never told him that he's too much. It's nice to not hear.

Claude tries to remember that, as he whittles away his evening raising fake colorful animals. He tries to commit Hilda's words to memory, that he doesn't have to push himself into knowing every little detail of their relationship for it to be good. It's kind of ridiculous anyway, isn't it? The future is, by its very nature, unpredictable and something he shapes with his own hands. There's no telling what will happen between him and Dimitri, if their relationship will ever go further than this... but he can at least do his best not to mangle it up right in the middle of the race.

Will it be as easy as just thinking it? Claude doubts it, although he wishes it were as easy as planting some seeds in a video game garden. But on the other hand...

Well. It's been easy falling in love with Dimitri. Maybe... all he has to do is keep doing that, and they'll deal with everything else along the way together, to their future.

Claude smiles a little to himself, and not just because his garden is now full of Candaries. Funny, how everything is so obvious now that he's calmed down from the quiet anxiety he wasn't even really aware he was feeling. Sometimes, the world really is so much more simple than he or anyone else makes it out to be.

Eventually, Lorenz comes back home, smiling and discretely adjusting his turtleneck. Hilda emerges too, hair done up in a series of buns and cheerfully holding up her laptop from which an easy recipe for garlic cheese breadsticks is displayed. Claude has already filled up the sink with plenty of dirty dishes but, with a little searching and ingenuity, they manage to get enough for a late evening snack, and settle down in the living room again all together.

They don't really talk, beyond a quick discussion on a movie to watch to end the night with. It's the same thing they've done plenty of nights before, just cooling down with one another when their schedules align. Claude is pretty sure that this will be their future for a good while yet, even if that's only a year or two more. When he thinks about how alright he is with that, taking the days as they are alongside Hilda and Lorenz...

He thinks he could be alright doing the same with his and Dimitri's future together.