"Ah... how much do you know about the internet? It is a place on the internet where you can put pictures and it is somewhat infamous for being the place where you would put pictures of a fancy food that you want to brag about eating."

"I know about the internet. And that's adorable." 

Giggle. "Well, in the absence of Instagram, I shall treasure the memory of this moment and the beauty in it." He smiles brightly at Leo and takes a bite.

Oh. Leo's blushing. How did that happen? No, stop it, he's just talking about the food. 

...he's not just talking about the food, is he. 

Why does the eligible young heir have to be so cute? 

Aww. Instinctively, Felix reaches out and holds Leo's hand.

Leo stares at him, wide-eyed and on the verge of tears. It's just holding hands, why...why does it...

A few seconds later, he she he remembers to move his hand and hold Felix's in return. 

This isn't for show. It's not something they're doing to convince any onlookers that they're in love, or that they're courting. It could be, but it doesn't feel that way. This feels real, as though it's just for the two of them. 

Oh. There are those tears. 

Felix makes his way around the table and hugs Leo. "Are you okay? Is there something wrong?"

!

Why is Felix so good. Why are hugs so good.

Why are Felix's hugs so good. 

"...I don't know. Nothing? Everything? I—it's not something you did, you've been great—" It's very important that Felix should know that. "You're amazing." 

"Thank you?" he says automatically and with quite a bit of disbelief. "But, is there something I can do to help besides hugging? Not that I mind the hugging." He pats Leo's back.

Leo allows the hug for a minute or so, even leans into it, then disengages and sits up, wiping away the last few drops of water. 

"Sorry, I don't know what that was about. I'm alright now." 

Felix does not fight the disengaging and offers a napkin. He smiles at Leo. "No need to apologize, really."

Leo looks at the barely-touched cakes and smiles ruefully. "The staff are going to think we don't appreciate their efforts." 

Fork. Food. Mouth? 

"This. Is. Amazing." 

Felix smiles at Leo's reaction to the cake. He tries some.

Even after having the forewarning of Leo's reaction it is surprisingly good. "I know that they do this for a living and the place is expensive, but wow, this is unfairly good."

"I know!"

This food can't possibly get any better, but Leo tries eating a bite of cake mixed with fruit and syrup anyway and makes a mildly scandalous noise of pleasure. 

"Mmmm. This was such a good idea." 

"Mhmm." Felix agrees between bites. "I am going to be so sad when it's over, but I am gonna eat everything anyway and savour the memories."

"Yeah." 

Leo...savours the memories. Also the food. 

Felix notes Leo's pensiveness, but decides to not act on it immediately. Instead, once they are done eating and have grabbed their complimentary baskets he squezes Leo's hand and says. "If you need to talk or any sort of help. Please let me know?"

Hug?

Hug.

"Thank you." It's—deliberately—ambiguous what Felix is being thanked for. "I'll see you again soon?" 

"Of course!" It's easy to hear the smile in his voice. "Any time."

He she Leo goes home. Her his father wants to know how it went. Leo tells him it went fine, it went well, Feliaris Vaesteri is interested in making a match with Eleonora Paresteri.  He's delighted. 

Leo is...conflicted. 

Felix is nice. He's charming, understanding, and relentlessly, ridiculously kind. But Leo's met him twice, and that's not enough to know what being married to him would be like. Is he just doing this because he feels sorry for Leo and wants to help? If this works, if they get married and Leo gets what he she he wants, is Felix going to want anything to do with him after that? 

So what? What does Leo care? It's not as if either of them is doing this because they met and fell passionately in love. 

But what would it be like...

Felix doesn't go home right away. He finds himself going in the vague direction of Katur's apartment and stops, the three of them decided to avoid his place for a while.

He goes towards the Little Terra district, to have a direction to go.

Earth is vast, it is not entirely bad, no matter what the Elan stereotype says, but Leo would have a better chance to start a new there, in a body that fits him. No one would know. Felix can't offer a better option than that.

Can't or won't?

Leo might not even be interested in Earth in particular, Felix is likely projecting because his mind categorizes it as a separate world (ha) than the rest of the multiverse.

Yeah, he is being a coward, he just wants to go back to when being a Vaesteri meant he was a kid with a weird last-name that people made fun of. Instead of being a Vaesteri, modern day nobility in this world. Heir to name, money, prestige and magic potential. Someone that everyone wants to marry their heiress with.

Someone that can't actually do everything to help Leo, because he doesn't have the freedom to lower his defenses.

It is not in Felix's nature to wonder why he would care so much. It just feels true that Leo is nice, smart, good to be around with, and in need of help in a way that Felix can provide.

It is in Thomas' nature to wonder why cares so much.

It is in Fernando's nature to wonder if caring is the best thing to do.

"This sounds too weird to be a con, but it does have the step of a heiress marrying a Vaesteri heir."

"Misgendering!"