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Chapter Text

--

Thoma cleared his throat nervously, subconsciously fiddling with his fingers. His palms were sweaty, his heart racing. He cleared his throat again, taking a deep breath before blurting the words out.

“Hey, um, Ayato.. W-wanna go to the Yule ball with me next month?”

With the words finally out, Thoma waited nervously, heart racing.

…

…

“Dude. Even a house-elf would have to hesitate before accepting that kind of request.”

Thoma turned his head, glaring at the person who just spoke. Tomo lay on his bed, lazily eating a chocolate frog while looking through the latest edition of Seeker Weekly. Tama, his white feline companion, was lounging next to him in a position similar to her owner, daintily licking her paws as she watched the two, unimpressed.

“Aren’t you supposed to be helping me?” Thoma frowned, crossing his arms. “What happened to guiding me with, in your words, The Mysteries of Love and Romance?”

Tomo tossed his magazine to the side and lifted his legs, using the momentum to snap himself up to a seated position. Show-off. Tama hissed at the sudden jerking of the bed, displeased. “Whoops, sorry Tama.” Tomo chuckled, giving the cat a placating scratch to her ears before facing Thoma. “Just giving you the honest truth there, buddy. Ayato’s gonna have the entire cohort queuing for a chance to ask him out to the ball, a nervous question like that won’t make an impression on him, man. You gotta sweep him off his feet! Show him that you’re serious about it!”

Thoma sighed, collapsing onto his bed next to Tomo’s, lifting his arm to press on his eyes in frustration. “Ayato’s not Kazuha, ok? Kazuha’d would eat up any ridiculous thing you do, as long as it’s you. That’s always been the case even before you asked him out. Ayato has standards, I can’t just let loose one of the Weasley’s Wildfire Whiz-bangs in the middle of the Great Hall while screaming for him to go to the ball with me, ok? You know he hates the extra attention. Besides, he’s the Head Boy, he’s obliged to dock our house points and send me for detention.”

“Hmm, that’s true. Kazu’s a real gem, huh?” Tomo’s voice turned honey-sweet, his eyes gaining a faraway look. “You know, he’s been wanting to go to Honeydukes for our date to Hogsmeade tomorrow? Something about buying more sugar quills for his sweet-tooth. He also bought us matching sweaters as it’s getting cold lately, what did I do to deserve- Oof!”

Tomo was interrupted by Thoma’s pillow that was hurled directly towards his face.

“Shut up, shut up,” Thoma groaned. “I don’t need to be reminded of your perfect romance with Kazuha. Some people are trying to confess here, hello? Why is this so hard? I should just give up on trying to ask him to the ball at this point. Can’t I just wait for his birthday next year?”

Tomo pushed the pillow to the side, face taking up a more serious expression.

“Look, my dude. You and Ayato are practically attached at the hips, but with this ridiculous ‘bro’ thing you guys have going on, nothing’s going to change unless you do something, what with how busy the guy is. You’ve been pining after him for a year, man! Besides, the Yule ball being announced as a yearly thing now is the best opportunity for you to finally ask him out. As the Head Boy, he would have to attend, so there’s no excuse there, yeah?”

Two days ago at breakfast, the Headmistress of Hogwarts, Professor Ei, had announced in a deadpan voice that the Yule ball, an event that used to occur only with every Triwizard tournament, would now be held every year right before the Christmas break. Shortly after, it had become the buzz of the town, everyone discussing their dates for the ball. It wasn’t a surprise that Tomo, in true Tomo fashion, had to make his dramatic invitation at breakfast the very next morning, even though he and Kazuha had already been going out since the start of the year.

Thoma moaned dramatically. “Why must you keep bringing up the “bro” thing? I swear, it was just one time, and it slipped out when I was nervous, ok?”

Tomo flung his hands up in mock surrender.

“Welp, you do you, man. But time’s a-ticking, and Ayato won’t stay single and available for long.”

--

Thoma had been crushing on Ayato for more than a year. Honestly, it was probably longer than that, but Thoma was only able to put a name on that fluttering, hard to breathe feeling whenever he was around the man awhile back.

They met when they were first years, the two of them ending up next to each other by coincidence while waiting for their turns to be sorted into their respective houses. Thoma was nervous and fresh-faced, having just moved alone to the city to live with his aunt so that he could attend the magical institution. The day he received his letter was a surprise to his large, all-Muggle family, but they were delighted and supportive of this discovery. Their family wasn’t very well-off, and Thoma’s parents did their best to scrape up enough funds to send him to live with his aunt. Thoma was grateful, as he knew it wasn’t an easy feat for them, what with having 5 children to raise. But with this knowledge came the added pressure to do well, to not mess up and embarrass himself in this new and unfamiliar world he had been thrust into.

Thoma glanced nervously at the boy standing next to him. Unlike Thoma’s nervous fidgeting, the boy was perfectly poised, the picture of calm and elegance. Though he was dressed in the standard issue robes like everyone else, it looked almost royal on him, draped perfectly across his frame and accentuating his sharp features. His hair was a silvery blue, swept neatly into a ponytail. Thoma could hear the girls in front of them giggling, turning around to steal glances at the boy every so often. He could make out the snide remarks made by a group of rowdy boys to the back of the line, making fun of a kid who was still clutching on to a soft toy for comfort.

Thoma slouched further into himself. At the age of 13, he had still not had his major growth spurt, and he felt like a tiny bundle of nerves as the vice-headmistress, Professor Kujou Sara, continued to call out names before placing a worn, beaten-down and honestly nasty looking hat on the first years’ heads.

At his movement, the boy standing next to him turned his head, meeting his eyes.

“Are you okay?”

Man, even his voice sounded like a prince’s.

“Y-yeah,” Thoma stuttered, scratching the back of his head nervously. “Um, it’s my first time here. Just a little nervous, that's all, haha.”

He immediately wanted to slap himself. Idiot! They were all first years, it was everyone’s first time here, duh! Right before he could dig himself a hole in the ground, the boy chuckled gently, a small smile on his face.

“Everyone here is new to all this, regardless of whether they have a magical background. You’ll be fine. Besides,” he whispered, a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes. “There’s lots to look forward to here.”

Before Thoma could ask him what he meant, a small crack sounded from the back of the line, followed by a few yelps. Whipping his head back, Thoma spotted the rowdy group at the back clutching their heads as soft fluffy ears, not unlike a soft doll’s, sprouted from their heads. Professor Kujou merely glanced up from her list of names, glancing over at them disinterestedly before returning her attention to the list.

Thoma stared incredulously at the boy next to him. In lieu of an explanation, he smiled and stretched out a pale hand. “My name is Kamisato Ayato. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Ayato was sorted into Slytherin.

Thoma, to his great scepticism, was placed into Gryffindor by the gruff and frankly bad smelling sorting hat.

But despite all his anxiousness at the start, Thoma soon started to thrive in Hogwarts, having warmed up enough to start being his usual sociable self. He formed a tight-knit group with his fellow housemates Tomo and Yoimiya, while knowing almost everyone else on a first-name basis. However, he would never forget the intriguing and elegant boy he met on his first day at Hogwarts, admiring him from afar in Slytherin and Gryffindor’s shared potions classes. It was only in his second year, when Yoimiya dragged her new friend Ayaka into the group, who in turn introduced her older brother to the group, did Thoma and Ayato start to get closer.

The rest, from there, was history.

--

Chapter Text

-- 

By breakfast the next morning, Thoma had still not worked up the courage (or any ideas, for that matter) to solve his little problem. Making his way to the Great Hall, he sat himself down with a loud thump at the Ravenclaw table, where he and the rest usually sat.

Ayaka, Yoimiya, Kazuha and Tomo were already there, the latter having left before Thoma to pick Kazuha up from the Ravenclaw dorms, whatever romantic gesture that was supposed to be. In fact, the two of them were both engrossed in their own private conversation, Kazuha blushing profusely and whacking Tomo for something he had said. Ayato was nowhere to be found, likely having to finish some work before meeting them at breakfast.

At his arrival, Ayaka and Yoimiya both perked up. 

“Thoma! Just the man we wanted to see!” Yoimiya exclaimed, smiling brightly.

Instantly, Thoma turned nervous. Though he loved Yoimiya like a sister, the girl had a never-ending penchant for getting herself (and others) into trouble with her various tendencies. 

Before Thoma could force her to explain herself, Ayaka spoke, kindly elaborating for him. “We were discussing our plans for the Yule ball. Tomo and Kazuha are definitely going together, while Yoimiya and I have not made our decisions. Have you decided on who you will be going to the ball with?”

No. Not the ball again. At the mention of the Yule ball, Tomo perked up, looking at Thoma expectantly. 

“No one, I don’t know who to ask to the ball yet! You know me, I’m probably just going to go with the flow, see whoever catches my interest, and all.”

At the end of his uncharacteristically hasty explanation, Tomo raised an eyebrow at him with a “You serious bro?” look on his face. Kazuha merely sighed, returning to nibbling on the piece of bread in his hand.

Though Yoimiya did not catch Tomo’s expression, she didn’t even need to, her eyes narrowing and mouth falling open in exasperation. “Thoma, really? No one? At all?”

Thoma raised his hands in surrender.

“Hey, why are you expecting this of me? There’s the quidditch season starting soon, and NEWTs next year, I have my hands full! I haven’t really given much thought about who I should ask. I may not even be attending if I can’t get my potions grade up!”

Lies, Thoma, lies. All of his friends knew how much of a romantic Thoma was, and it was a no-brainer that Thoma would definitely be looking forward to the Yule ball, arguably one of the most opportune events for romance in Hogwarts, that was close to Christmas, arguably one of the most romantic time of the year.

Ayaka coughed politely and gestured to Thoma’s hands. “Thoma, are you sure?”

Thoma confusedly glanced down at his hands, where he had subconsciously been taking items from the breakfast spread in an attempt to distract himself from the unwanted attention. Nothing out of the ordinary.

…

“What should he be sure about?”

A familiar voice sounded from behind Thoma. 

Thoma turned to his side as Ayato gracefully took a seat beside him, the Slytherin glancing down at his plate.

“Oh, my favourite tart! Thank you, Thoma. I was worried that Yoimiya would have eaten all of it by the time I arrived.”

Indignantly, Yoimiya butted in. “Hey! Ayato! Are you implying that I’m greedy? The next time, I’ll make sure you won’t get to eat any! Humph!”

Ayato merely chuckled, turning to Thoma. “Then I should be grateful that I have Thoma here to save me some, right?”

Though Ayato looked slightly worn, dark bags lining the bottom of his eyes, no doubt having studied till late in the night, he still otherwise looked put together at this early hour, his hair swept up in his usual neat high ponytail. As their eyes met, Thoma couldn’t help but blush a little as he admired the sparkle in Ayato’s eyes.

“Pfft, of-of course! I’m never forgetting the time Yoi finished all of the pumpkin pie at Christmas last year. And the food then was supposed to be self-replenishing!”

“Well! It was Tomo who secretly drank up everyone’s butterbeer!”

From there, the group descended into light bickering, Yoimiya and Tomo exchanging blows with Thoma occasionally butting in to fan the flames, grateful that the attention was taken off him thanks to Ayato’s arrival. Ayato, Ayaka and Kazuha, with their noble upbringings, merely watched, amused.

In the middle of it all, Thoma caught eyes with Ayaka, remembering her words before Ayato’s arrival. They echoed through his brain as the group dispersed after breakfast, Tomo and Thoma leaving for quidditch practice, Yoimiya, Ayaka and Kazuha leaving for their respective morning classes. Ayato, as the future clan head of the Kamisato clan, one of the oldest and most prestigious magical families, was to attend a meeting via the Floo network for the clan’s internal affairs.

“I’ll see you after your quidditch practice,” he promised, waving serenely at Thoma before parting ways with them, giving his sister a side hug on the way.

Thoma sighed forlornly, watching him leave.

“Man, you really have it bad, huh?” Tomo commented as he stood by Thoma’s side, taking advantage of his height (though Thoma was by no means short, Tomo was just insanely tall) to wrap his arm around Thoma’s neck, giving him a noogie. “What was that just now? Didn’t you declare yesterday that you were going to go all out this time?”

As they made their way to the quidditch pitch, shoving and pushing each other in mock anger, Thoma steeled himself.

Asking Ayato at breakfast, out. Asking him to the ball was equivalent to admitting his crush, and what if Ayato didn’t feel the same way? What if he got rejected? Either way, it would be embarrassing to do so in front of his meddlesome group of friends.

At least quidditch practice was something he could look forward to to temporarily relieve him of his worries.

--

Thoma wished he was anywhere but here at the quidditch pitch.

It had nothing to do with quidditch itself. Thoma loved everything about the sport. The speed, the tension, the coordination and synergy needed within the team to win. As Gryffindor’s current star chaser, Thoma was fully dedicated to the sport. He would have to be half-dying before even thinking about skipping a practice. But not today.

The problem was Itto. Arataki Itto, a fellow chaser on the team. Usually, Thoma got along fine with him. Itto was great at the game and a good team player, flustering rival team’s keepers as they scrambled to deflect his powerful shots. Off the pitch, Itto was a great guy, kind to the juniors and buddies with the rest of them, good-natured and sociable.

It was precisely because of this that Thoma was having such a hard time restraining himself from whacking him with his broom to shut him up. Practice was going fine at first, the team doing their usual drills before splitting up into pairs to practice. Thoma was paired up with Itto, and he was ok with that, until the man started speaking excitedly to Thoma during their drills.

It started with asking Thoma who he was planning to ask to the Yule ball. Naturally, as much as Thoma liked the guy, he wasn’t going to share his deepest darkest secrets with him. After confirming that no, Thoma had no one in mind, and he wasn’t that interested in the Yule ball anyways (lies, Thoma, lies!), he thought the conversation was over as they focused on perfecting their passes.

“Hey Thoma, Ayato gonna be here again later after practice?” Itto suddenly barked out while tossing the quaffle over to him.

Thoma caught the quaffle easily with one hand, leaning forward on his broom to pick up speed.

“What? Yeah, we always meet up after morning practice. Why?” With a grunt, Thoma flicked his wrist, sending the quaffle spinning backwards towards Itto who was matching his pace from behind.

Catching the quaffle easily, Itto grinned. “Nice throw.” Pulling up and tossing the quaffle back and forth between his hands, he suddenly looked uncharacteristically shy. “Um, well, I figured no harm trying to ask him to the ball, yanno? Rumour says that he doesn’t have anyone confirmed yet, and he’s pretty, yeah? Just thought I should ask you first, since I always thought you and him were a thing.”

Flustered, Thoma fumbled slightly as he caught the quaffle that Itto lobbed over. “What? You weren’t going to ask Yoimiya?” He blurted out, a feeling he couldn’t identify gnawing away at his stomach. Itto and Yoimiya had this weird friendship slash rivalry going on, the two of them challenging and egging each other on in their various shenanigans. Even then, it was undeniable that the two had chemistry, and Thoma would have thought Itto would be interested in Yoimiya before anyone else. 

Ignoring him, Itto laughed, speeding up again. Thoma rushed to catch up, letting Itto fly above him before tossing the quaffle upwards, in one of their many maneuvers. 

“I’ve always had the hots for him, yanno?” Itto continued. No, Itto, I didn’t and do not want to know, Thoma thought bitterly. “Ever since the day he caught me trying to sneak out of the castle. He didn’t even lift a finger, and my shoelaces tied themselves together and sent me flying to the floor. He just walked towards me and issued me detention while I was still flat on my ass. Man, that was so hot. I never knew I had a masochistic streak in me till then.”

As Itto went on and on, Thoma gritted his teeth, channeling more and more power behind his throws as the gnawing feeling in his stomach continued to grow.

So what if Itto liked Ayato? Ayato was likeable, and he deserved to have many admirers! It didn’t mean anything. Itto would be a handful for Ayato, an added stressor over the many responsibilities he already had to juggle.

But… What if Itto managed to ask Ayato before Thoma could? What if Ayato actually accepted? Shit, if that actually happened… Thoma couldn’t, wouldn’t try to butt in. He would respect Ayato’s decision. But he’d probably have to hide in the dorms for awhile, maybe cry his heart out a little. Or a lot.

Thoma’s thoughts were cut off when a quaffle slammed straight into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

“Thoma, you paying attention? That was an amateur mistake!” Itto yelled playfully.

Thoma ducked to the side easily to catch the stray quaffle, a determined frown forming on his face. Welp. Guess Itto was going to have a tough time at practice today.

--

By the time practice ended, Itto was panting loudly, hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath after dismounting. Thoma felt a little bad to admit that the sight made him feel a lot better. After the quick debrief by their captain, Thoma headed towards the locker room to quickly shower and change out of his quidditch robes. 

Once he’d emerged, he squinted his eyes as he searched the grandstand, looking for a familiar head of pale hair. Ayato was sitting at one of the higher rows, casually flipping through a book as he patiently waited for Thoma, just as he always did. Thoma’s heart warmed.

But right as he was about to call out to him, someone else did it first.

“Hey, Ayato! Got something to ask you!” Itto, damn him, bounded right past Thoma, dashing up the stairs in Ayato’s direction. Looking up, Ayato tilted his head in question, closing his book before placing it neatly to his side.

Fuck, Thoma couldn’t watch this. Fuck you, Arataki The Great Dumb Cockblocker Itto. He turned around to search for someone to speak to, just as Itto reached Ayato, the latter rising from his seat to receive the conversation. 

Though Tomo raised his eyebrows in question when Thoma returned to join the rest of the team still in the locker room, but chose not to question him upon sensing his sour mood.

--

“Thoma.”

Ayato’s calm voice sounded from behind him while Thoma was engrossed with polishing and shining his broom. Most of the team had already left, Tomo clapping Thoma on his back before heading off to class. 

Thoma startled, whipping around to look at the man. Ayato was leaning against the door, arms crossed, a fond smile on his face.

“Are you done? I don’t mind waiting a bit longer if you are not.”

Thoma searched Ayato’s expression, but it was unreadable, no hints of what could have went on between him and Itto previously. 

“Oh, I’m ready to leave! Just saw you were busy and decided to give you the time.” Thoma explained. Doing his best to be casual, Thoma tacked on as he put away his broom and polishing materials. “So.. what did Itto want with you just now? I saw you speaking to him.”

Ayato made a small shrug, shaking his head slightly. “Nothing important, really. He just had a question to ask me, that’s all.”

So Ayato didn’t want to share. The monster in Thoma’s stomach roared. Yea, Thoma realised that he was probably a little jealous. Whatever. Ayato’s response gave nothing away, and Thoma fought to swallow his curiosity.

“Alright. Come on then, let’s hurry to the library before all the seats are taken up.”

--

Thoma and Ayato usually spent their early afternoons before lunch in the Hogwarts Library, struggling to catch up with their schoolwork. With Thoma busy with quidditch season and Ayato busy with his duties as Head Boy and the future clan head, the two had to make use of any spare time they had to maintain their grades.

They worked well together, too. Ayato was a natural at Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts, and he was patient with explaining the more complex concepts to Thoma. Thoma wasn’t stupid by any means, but Ayato was on a whole nother level when it came to spells and magic, what with him having mastered even wandless magic.

On the other hand, Thoma could help him with potions, something Ayato was, frankly, a little disastrous at. One would think the seemingly perfect Ayato would breeze through every single class, but it was astounding the way his potions sometimes turned out despite being given a recipe and step by step instructions.

As Ayato left to browse through the shelves for the reference books he needed, Thoma started laying out their quills and parchment, placing Ayato’s at the seat opposite his. The library was surprisngly quiet today, despite their initial concerns. Only one other table in their section behind him was occupied, a group of girls speaking in hushed whispers.

When Ayato returned, they began studying, Thoma and Ayato occasionally breaking the silence to ask each other questions on certain topics. It was nice and peaceful, a routineThoma appreciated. Despite being an extrovert, it got tiring at times to always be expected to be the moodmaker. With Ayato, Thoma could just be however he was feeling at that moment.

An hour passed that way. It was soon time for lunch, and Thoma was beginning to lose focus. The group of girls behind him giggled softly at something. Lifting his gaze from the parchment he was glaring holes into, Thoma glanced at Ayato.

The silver-haired man had his arm on the table, propped underneath his head as he struggled to stay awake. Occasionally, his head would nod a little, eyes closing involuntarily as the heavy weight of constant sleepless nights and countless responsibilities took their toll on him.

“Ayato,” he murmured, startling him. “Let’s take a break and go for lunch, yeah?”

Ayato straightened up, rubbing his shoulders that had stiffened up. 

“Mmm..” he spoke. “Sorry, Thoma. It’s been a tiring few weeks.”

“Everything ok? You haven’t been this tired in awhile.”

When Ayato frowned in front of friends, it came with a dulling in his eyes and a slight downward shift to his mouth, almost resembling a pout and so unlike the regal manner he was forced to conduct himself with usually. 

“Yes. A few clan elders have been arguing about the use of our resources. Father is also choosing to step down the moment I graduate, with his ailing health. So there’s lots of work and logistics to take over.”

Ayato rubbed his eyes tiredly.

“What with the news of a new escaped prisoner from Azkaban, the school also wants to double on patrols by Professors and the prefects alike. It is, simply put, a logistical nightmare.”

Thoma’s heart ached for him as he listened to him rant.

Ayato was always highly accomplished, in huge favour to take over as the leader of the Kamisato clan. But usually, these responsibilities would be given to him when he was much older. However, a year ago, his father had become dangerously ill, which forced Ayato to take up the mantle. It was tough enough having to lead, but having to do so while he was still schooling made it even tougher.

Thoma remembered the day Ayato came to find him at the Gryffindor dorms late at night, almost teary-eyed, after hearing the news that his father had collapsed and was hospitalised at St Mungos. Together, they went to fetch Ayaka from the Ravenclaw dorms, before taking leave from school to visit him at the hospital. The days following were hard on both the Kamisato siblings due to their father’s unknown fate, but arguably, even harder for Ayato, who was immediately plucked from his role as clan heir to acting head. Thoma did his best to support the siblings, but there was only so much he could do. 

Ayato, ever the stoic one when faced with responsibilties, had all but abandoned his playful demeanour, hardly showing up to their group meetups as he was stretched thin in all directions. It was only when Thoma snuck into the Slytherin dungeons at night, the then prefect Ayato too tired to protest his rule-breaking, that Thoma could see him and make sure he was eating and well, force him to open up and do away with the composed and regal front he was forced to put on. 

Thoma remembered those days. Which was why as Ayato continued speaking, he grew worried. It was not the time to ask Ayato out to the Yule ball, right? He had enough on his shoulders. Sure, as the Head Boy, he would have to be present. But he would most likely be busy with preparations and ensuring that the event was running smoothly on that day. 

Besides, he was probably getting many invitations to the ball. Itto included, Thoma’s brain chose to unhelpfully add. 

As Thoma and Ayato shifted the topic away to something about more mundane, everyday things like which Professor had a crush on who (yes, Ayato loved gossip. So did Thoma), the girls from behind giggled again.

Thoma noticed Ayato occasionally glancing away from his face as they spoke, casting an ice-cold gaze in the direction behind Thoma. 

“What’s wrong, Ayato?”

Ayato’s mouth twitched into its little pout.

“Nothing.” Then to Thoma’s surprise, he stood, brisk walking around the table to Thoma’s side. Before Thoma could even ask what he was doing, he took the seat beside Thoma’s, tugged his arm towards himself and dropped his head onto Thoma’s shoulder. 

“A-ayato?” Thoma spluttered, completely flustered by his sudden forwardness.

“Shh, let’s rest for a while here. I am just a little tired.” Ayato murmured, snuggling a little more into Thoma’s shoulder. 

Thoma’s face was burning up, and he was sure it was tomato-red at this point. The girls behind him seemed to have left, or maybe it was just his mind hyperfocusing on the fact that Ayato was so close to him. He could catch a whiff of his shampoo, a pleasant mixture of mint and vanilla. The hands wrapped around his arm were gentle, soft.

Thoma gulped. “Ayato, are you sure it’s comfortable like this? Why don’t we go back to the dorms first?”

“Mm.Just give me a few more minutes. You are very comfortable, Thoma.”

If it was even possible, Thoma blushed harder. He was sure his pulse was racing, and he wondered if Ayato could feel it where his fingertips were resting slightly on his pulse point. 

It was just the two of them here. Ayato wasn’t busy at the moment. Thoma was sure, in response to Ayaka’s question that morning. Damn, he was so sure he wanted Ayato. It was the perfect time, the perfect opportunity. Just ask Ayato if he had anyone to go with to the Yule ball. Baby steps. He could do this.

“Ayato,” he whispered. “Do you have a date to the Yule ball?”

…

…

…

No response. 

Craning his neck, he peeked at the man beside him. Ayato’s eyes were closed, his breathing deep and even. Asleep.

Despite his attempt failing, Thoma couldn’t help but smile to himself as he watched Ayato’s peaceful expression. People commented that Ayato was an embodiment of calm and grace, but they failed to see the little signs that betrayed the pressure he was under. The dark circles under his eyes. An occasional glazed look. Rubbing of his temples when he got a migraine. The tense shoulders.

When asleep, he looked truly at peace, his eyelashes fanning prettily over his cheekbones, his face smooth of any frown lines. Thoma wished he could do something to lighten his burden, but all he could do was be a shoulder for Ayato to lean on when things got tough.

Careful not to jostle the sleeping man, Thoma picked up his jacket and draped it lightly over him. Ayato barely stirred. He must’ve been exhausted.

Thoma leaned further into his chair, closing his eyes. Lunch could wait. 

Chapter Text

That evening found the two at Potions, a class that Slytherin and Gryffindor usually shared. Thoma still could not decide if that was a good or bad thing. 

“Ayato,” Thoma hissed, eyes darting frantically to the instructions written on the blackboard before nudging said man by the side. “Did you remember to add in the moonstone?”

Ayato and Thoma usually paired up during Potions, more for the other students’ sake than their own. It was the one Ayato-time that Thoma could, maybe, teensily admit, he did not need. Honestly, Thoma had no idea how Ayato even managed to pass his O.W.L.S to make it to a N.E.W.T level potions class, though he probably just took strange pleasure in messing around during class. There were plenty of… incidents that Thoma had shoved to the furthest corner at the back of his mind. The professors still loved him anyway, though Thoma highly suspected that their Potions professor, Professor Sucrose, was afraid of them. Or maybe just Ayato. 

Glancing up from his calm and lofty stirring of the cauldron’s contents (Thoma was keeping track of the number of times he did out of habit), said menace offered Thoma a smile. “Of course I did. I promised to be good today, remember? You can go back to preparing the ginger root.”

Thoma was not convinced, very used to Ayato and the mischief he got up to in Potions. In response to his raised eyebrow, Ayato chuckled. “Really. This will be a good one, I promise.”

Thoma reached a hand out, grasping for the ladle in his haste to stop Ayato’s movements. 50 counter-clockwise stirs. Thoma sighed in relief, glad he had stopped him in time. He did not want to relive a particularly disastrous potions class he had gone through the previous year.

It was only then that he noticed that his hand was wrapped around Ayato’s, a gentle warmth pulsing between their fingers. Ayato’s fingers were slender and smooth, his hands fitting nicely in Thoma’s own slightly larger ones. Upon that realisation, he quickly released his hands and returned his attention down to the chopping board, picking up the knife to continue slicing the ginger root. 

Silently praying that the heat he felt around his face was not manifesting. “The recipe said to stir 50 times counter-clockwise. You’ve already reached 50.” He coughed out. The ginger roots had to be sliced to perfection, exactly 1mm thick. Yes.

There was a short pause from Ayato before he spoke, sounding unaffected by the previous events.

“Ah, thank you Thoma. I’m glad I have you to help me. Now, where are my ginger roots?”

They continued preparing the potion in tandem, the two exchanging peaceful conversation, with Thoma occasionally reaching out to swap the wrong ingredient out from Ayato’s hands. He swore Ayato was doing it on purpose, though no one could tell even after all those years. 

Plucking the fairy wings from Ayato’s hands and replacing it with dragonfly wings, Thoma decided to continue what he had started in the library that morning before Ayato had fallen asleep. 

“Say, Ayato… are you going with anyone to the Yule ball?”

At that, Ayato paused in his examination of the fairy wings. How did he even get those back anyway?

“Sure,” he replied unhesitatingly, eyes twinkling as he looked over. “I will definitely be attending it with someone I have in mind.”

Oh. Okay. Thoma’s heart just fell right to the bottom of his bottomless stomach. If that was even possible. Don’t panic, don’t panic. You can cry in your dorms later, Thoma told himself furiously as he struggled to get over the shock. 

“Oh,” Thoma cleared his throat awkwardly. “Well. That’s good. Just curious. Haha.” He might have diced instead of sliced the poor caterpillar he was handling. Was that how his heart was looking at that moment? Plausible, judging by the internal conflict in Thoma’s mind at that moment. Was it Itto? Did Ayato agree to go with him? Or was it someone else Thoma was not aware of, someone who managed to capture Ayato’s attention? They weren’t together all the time, and Ayato did have circles outside of Thoma’s. The caterpillar was not looking good. 

Unperturbed by Thoma’s mauling of the caterpillar, Ayato continued, seemingly unaware of the war raging on within Thoma.

“It is a rare opportunity for me to be free on that day. Though I would have to be at the venue earlier to ensure that all the logistics are settled, Headmistress Ei has graciously offered to oversee the event for me.” 

Thoma tried his best to listen, he really did. But his mind was still mocking him: Ayato has a date! You were too late! Ayato has a date! You were l-l-laaaate! Thoma was so distracted that he did not catch Ayato dropping the fairy wings into the cauldron. Or stirring the cauldron a few extra times. The world was ending anyways, just let it burn. 

Or not. 

“Ayato…” Thoma hissed furiously as their cauldron started bubbling suspiciously. The potion, instead of looking a pale blue like it was supposed to, was sporting a crystalline, multi coloured hue. “What did you put in there?”

Ayato proudly stared down at the cauldron, tapping his chin in contemplation as he spoke, “Just as I wanted it to turn out. You will cover me if this goes wrong, right, Thoma?”

A whistling noise sounded from the cauldron. Professor Sucrose, wand already at the ready for whenever she was teaching their class, was rushing down the rows towards them. 

Thoma sighed, already resigned to his fate and crafting his apologies to Professor Sucrose. “Don’t I always?”

Ayato waved his hand above the cauldron, usually forgoing his wand when casting trivial spells. 

Immediately, the cauldron stopped hissing, the potion settling into a crystal blue right as Professor Sucrose reached their table. 

“Ahem!” She sounded out, nervously adjusting her glasses as she inspected the cauldron cautiously, her wand in hand as she anticipated an explosion. “The color of the potion is… actually…” She squinted. “It actually looks close to the expected color of the potion we are making today. Please refrain from making anything explode today, Misters Kamisato and Thoma!”

The whole class breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Yes, Professor!” Thoma saluted. When the Professor turned away, Thoma peered into the cauldron. “What did you make this time, Ayato? It actually… doesn’t look that bad.”

Happily, Ayato ladled a portion of the potion into a small bottle. “Didn’t I promise that it’d be a good one today?” He smiled cheekily. “I read something from a book. I wanted to try it out, with a few modifications.” He capped and tucked the bottle into the pocket of his robes. Thoma couldn’t even reprimand him after seeing the satisfied look on his face. It was rare to see Ayato having fun. Most of the time, Thoma just did his best to protect Professor Sucrose and the rest of the class from the aftereffects. He was reasonable, after all. Tomo would disagree and say he was whipped.

Whipped for someone who was already going to the ball with someone else, Thoma sunk into himself, remembering their earlier conversation before the potion disaster right as the bell rang. “Dinner? The house elves told me that they would be serving your favourite pumpkin pie today.” Ayato spoke after they had put away the last of the ingredients. 

“Er.. It’s alright! I suddenly remembered that I have to rush a paper for Care of Magical Creatures tomorrow!” Thoma hastily stammered out an excuse, wanting to escape and hide under his blankets for the rest of the day. Ayato frowned. “I can wait for you to be done. Or I can ask the house elves for something to take to your dorms.” 

“No need for that!” Thoma nervously chuckled, making a show of gathering his things. “Tomo said he would grab something for me. You should go ahead first, I’ll see you tomorrow!” He rushed off, taking with him his broken heart while leaving behind a confused and slightly hurt Ayato. He felt bad for ditching him like that, but he needed time to process his feelings. And maybe have a good cry like he had planned for.

…

…

…

“Tomo, aren’t you supposed to take some food up for Thoma?” 

“Huh? Why?”

Chapter Text

Thoma startled when he felt something cold press against his neck.

He looked up from where he was laying on his bed, all but his head wrapped underneath thick blankets.

Tomo bounced onto the bed, Tama clutched in one hand and the offending cold bottle of water in the other.

“Hey man, how long are you going to mope for? It’s been 2 days and everyone’s getting kinda worried.”

Thoma forced himself to sit up, uncapping the offered water and drinking a few mouthfuls. He hadn’t realised how thirsty he was.

Once done, he screwed the cap back on and wiped his mouth indignantly.

“I’m not moping!” He insisted stubbornly.

Tomo raised an eyebrow.

“Whenever you’re not in class, you’re hiding in your blankets. I’ve been bringing you your food every time. I may be sexy, but I’m not your glorified maid, man!” He huffed. When Thoma did not react to his self-praise with their usual banter, he softened slightly. “Come on, did Ayato even say who exactly he was going with? Look, he even asked me to bring you this from the kitchens. The guy has everyone in this school wrapped around his thumb, I swear. It’s scary.”

Tomo tossed a lunchbox onto the bed. Tentatively, Thoma picked it up and removed the lid. Upon seeing the contents, he deflated even more.

Placed neatly in the box were sticks of dango, Thoma’s favourite. Ayato must have asked the house-elves to prepare it specially for him, since it wasn’t a common food served in school. Thoma had off-handedly mentioned his love for the sticky, savoury snack once to him. To think he remembered.

“Jeez, are you gonna cry?” Tomo asked, exasperated. Thoma blinked furiously, the corner of his eyes feeling suspiciously damp. Tama mewed in concern from her place in Tomo’s arms.

Forlornly, Thoma looked down at the dango. So soft and fragile, pierced through with a stick. Just like his heart.

“He’s perfect, Tomo.” He said sadly. “He’s way out of my league.”

Tomo snapped his arms up in surrender. “Ok, ok. I’ll leave you alone. Talk to Tama or something. Merlin knows you need someone rational to talk to.”

After Tomo had left the room, Thoma picked Tama up and cuddled her to his chest, pressing his face into her snowy fur.

“Tama, what am I gonna do?” He whined. “I wanted to bring him to the ball, then ask him to go out with me. And maybe marry him. One day. But now I’ve missed the chance. And all I have left is the dango he gave me.” Thoma removed a piece with his teeth, chewing sadly. The dango was good, and it soothed him a little. Tama mewed and pawed at his cheek. “No, Tama, I can’t let you eat this. Ayato gave this to me. Though knowing him, he will sneak you some treats if he was here.” He sniffed. “He likes animals too. We could have adopted some creatures, started a family. It would’ve been perfect.”

Thoma’s pity party was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. He raised his head just as the knob turned, the door opening to reveal none other than the root cause of his misery. “He’s probably crying over your dango!” A voice yelled from beyond the door. Tomo.

“A-ayato!” Thoma snapped to his senses, scrambling to straighten himself out while Tama jumped off the bed, tail curling in the air as she hurried to greet Ayato. While Ayato was dressed primly in his robes, not a hair out of place, Thoma was clad in his pyjamas, cheeks stuffed with dango. His hair was probably a rat’s nest. Gosh. “W-what are you doing here?” He stammered out, panicking over looking so disheveled in front of his crush.

Ayato closed the door, bending down to his knees to slip Tama a treat he produced from his pocket. He gently scratched her behind her ears. “You have been avoiding everyone recently. I was concerned. Is everything okay, Thoma?” He stood up, making his way over to Thoma. He glanced at the bed, looking at Thoma for permission. Thoma quickly gestured for him to sit. Thank Merlin the rest of the Gryffindor boys weren’t in the sleeping quarters, or they would surely be wolf-whistling and teasing Thoma right then.

Thoma scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, trying to think of a reply. “Y-yeah, haven’t been feeling well the past couple of days, think I've caught a cold. I didn’t mean to avoid everyone.”

“You’re sick?” Ayato asked, concerned. He leaned forward. Thoma tried his best not to lean back. Ayato peered into his face, resting a pale hand against Thoma’s forehead. “Hmm.. you are a little warm,” he murmured. “Have you gone to see the nurse?”

“N-no, it’s nothing serious. I just need to sleep it off a little.” Thoma couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed when Ayato removed his hand from his forehead. “Thank you for the dango by the way,” he rapidly tried to change the subject.

At the mention of the dango, Ayato beamed. “I asked the house-elves if they could whip up a little something for me this morning. They love being introduced to new dishes, and were more than happy to try it out. It probably does not taste as good as the ones you are used to, but I hoped it can cheer you up a little.”

“No, no, they taste great!” Thoma insisted hurriedly, wanting to dispel any doubts before they could appear. He picked up a remaining stick from the lunchbox, holding it in front of Ayato. “Here, have some. It’s really good!”

Ayato scooted closer, placing his hands on top of Thoma’s to steady them as he bent forward, delicately biting into the sweet and slowly dragging one of the little balls off the stick and into his mouth. Thoma gulped. He did not think this through, clearly, trying not to blush at their proximity. Ayato chewed carefully, oblivious to Thoma’s somersaulting heart.

Ayato hummed in appreciation. Were his eyelashes always this long? His eyes travelled downwards, meeting Ayato's concerned gaze.

"Thoma, maybe you should go see the nurse. Your face is really red. Don't you have a game against Slytherin at the end of the week?"

"Um, yeah, I -"

"And we're going to beat you guys this Friday!"

Tomo walked in, saving Thoma from his flustered attempts at explaining. He caught a wink from his friend. Ayato shifted backwards, placing a more reasonable distance between them. Thoma breathed a sigh of relief. Or disappointment. Or maybe both. He didn't have the mental capacity to figure that out.

"I'm sure you will," Ayato agreed serenely. "After all, Gryffindor has you, as well as Thoma, their star Chaser. But he can only be such if he rests well." With that, he got up, smoothing down his robes. Before Thoma could get a word of protest in (Thoma took pride in his Quidditch skills, a mere hypothetical cold would not stop him from performing), Ayato gently pushed him back down into a lying position, drawing the blankets up to his chin and tucking him in like a baby. Tomo sniggered.

"I have to go now, I'm running late for an appointment with the Headmistress," Ayato said regretfully, patting Thoma on the head a few times like how he did with Tama. Thoma could only sink down into the blankets, feeling embarrassed for actually liking it. Tomo was starting to sound like a pig with the way he was snorting to hold in his laughter. "I will be back to visit later tonight. Maybe I will ask for permission from Professor Sucrose to brew you a cold remedy."

"Ayato, no!"

Thoma called desperately after said man as he left, shutting the door behind him.

Tomo's contained sniggers evolved into full out laughing.

"God, your face - you really are down bad, my friend." Thoma glared at him, though it wasn't very intimidating from where he was securely wrapped in the blankets Ayato had tucked him in with.

It took awhile for Tomo's laughter to subside as he sobered up.

"You know, everyone is concerned, but 'Yato even more so. He kept asking me for updates about you, and he forced me to let him in just now so he could check on you himself."

Tomo poked the Thoma shaped lump on the bed.

"It's obvious he likes you. Trust me, just talk to him. Heck, you don't even need to ask him to go to the ball with you, seeing how you have epically failed on that so many times. Just tell him you like him, ask him out."

Petulantly, Thoma huffed. "Ayato is nice to everyone. It doesn't mean anything."

"Thoma, Ayato jinxed someone for teasing Ayaka when she forgot to tie up one side of her hair."

"It was a harmless jinx! And that guy deserved it anyways. Also, you can't prove it was Ayato who did it! He never even took out his wand!" Thoma defended loyally.

Tomo looked at him with a deadpan expression.

"At this rate, Yoi is gonna push the two of you into a broomstick cupboard. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Thoma pulled the blankets over his head, childishly cutting off the conversation.

Chapter Text

Thoma had no choice but to trudge on for the rest of the week, forcing himself out of bed and attending normal, human, social activities. No, it was not because the Gryffindor captain had all but dragged him by the ear to the pitch when had contemplated skipping quidditch practice. Nor was it because Tomo, fed up with his dramatics, had placed a charm on his blanket so that it ran away from him whenever he went close.

That was how Thoma found himself going through the motions until the big day of the match between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Tensions ran high in the stadium that day, the age-old rivalry between the 2 houses piling up the pressure on the two opposing teams that stood facing each other on the pitch.

Tomo slung a friendly arm around his shoulders as they faced the Slytherin team, brooms by their sides as they waited for the cue from the referee to mount their brooms. Quidditch was, unfortunately, as much of a psychological game as it was a physical one. The Slytherin team glared at them, squaring out their shoulders and standing wide to appear intimidating. "A silly action of posturing, when one feels the need to fake it until they make it", is what Ayato had once called it, examining his fingernails boredly while shutting down a few bullies from his very own house. In fact, one of them was from the Slytherin team. Thoma grinned at the thought. It was hard to take them seriously when Thoma had witnessed how one of them had once been subdued with his tail tucked between his legs in the presence of a man half his build. The Slytherin’s eye twitched.

"Uh hum! Mic test mic test!" A loud voice amplified through a microphone rang through the stadium, cutting through the tension between the players on the field.

Oh dear.

"Good evening everybody! Welcome to the highly anticipated match between Slytherin and, of course, the favourites, Gryffindor!"

One side of the stadium cheered loudly, while the other hissed and booed.

Yoimiya was the commentator for their match.

Once upon a time, she would have been berated for her candid comments and attempts to add fuel to the already smouldering fires of tension between whichever two houses were up for that match. ("But it's all in the name of the game, Professor Sara!) However, that was years ago and Vice-Headmistress Sara had given up on controlling her. And Headmistress Ei? She probably wasn't even at the match.

"The players are getting ready! Let's gooooo!"

When the referee blew her whistle, all players swooped into action. After exchanging a quick fist bump with Tomo, Thoma kicked off and soared into the air, eyes sharp as he scanned the pitch for openings. Slytherin had won the initial coin toss and gotten first possession of the quaffle, though that wouldn't be enough to turn the tide in their favour. The Slytherins’ Chasers that year weren’t on par with Gryffindor’s Chaser trio of Itto, Thoma and Tomo. Thoma hated bragging, disliked people who lorded their skills over others, but that much he was still certain of.

Thoma sped across the pitch to his position, waiting for Itto to intercept the quaffle as it was swiftly passed between the Slytherin Chasers. He stopped somewhere near the edge of the pitch, casually flipping himself upside down to avoid a bludger hurled his way. He had stopped near one of the grandstands, which happened to be one housing the Slytherin supporters. Most were draped in green and silver from head to toe, holding up banners depicting gruesome animated scenes of snakes devouring a lion. (Geez, was that even allowed?) Upon noticing Thoma near them, some of them began booing at him. Thoma paid them no mind, keeping a keen eye on the centre of action in the middle of the pitch.

"Hmm, it looks like Gryffindor's Itto and Tomo are trying to get between the Slytherin Chaser's tight formation! Oi, Itto, you still owe me 10 bucks by the way! Oh, Gryffindor's Tomo has knocked the quaffle to Gryffindor's Itto! The quaffle is now in Gryffindor's possession!"

The moment Itto got ahold of the quaffle, Thoma swooped into action. He nudged the front of his broomstick downwards, swiftly descending to allow Itto to drop-toss the quaffle towards him, the brown ball making its way past the momentarily confused Slytherin chasers who had not expected the manoeuvre.

Thoma hooked the quaffle towards himself with the tips of his fingers before bending his arm, holding it against his side and shifting his weight to steer his broomstick with one hand, all without breaking his momentum as he raced towards the goal post.

"Gryffindor's Thoma has caught the quaffle! Now that was smooth, sir! He is now racing towards the goalposts! Is he trying to score straightaway?"

Strong winds assaulted his face as Thoma sped on, easily dodging the bludgers sent his way, blood and adrenaline pumping through his veins as he felt the opposing Chasers hot on his tail, doing their best to block his advance. But Thoma was not the one of the best Chasers his year for nothing. Honed through countless practice and an innate talent for flying, Thoma was quick to reach the goal post and with a powerful throw, the quaffle went neatly through the hoop, just out of reach of the Slytherin Keeper.

The stadium erupted into cheers at the first goal of the day.

"Aaaand that is a point for Gryffindor! Magnificent teamwork displayed by the Gryffindor Chasers, and what a beautiful goal by Thoma! Ayato, you better - OW!"

Yoimiya was cut off, pained chokes sounding through the microphone. The stadium paid their commentator no mind, used to her wild antics.

Thoma perked up at the mention of Ayato. Swerving around on his broom, he squinted towards the grandstands to search for his friends.

The Gryffindor supporters were just as fiercely decked out in their house colours as their Slytherin counterparts. Thoma embarrassedly averted his eyes away from the brandished banners emblazoned with his name, scanning through the crowds to search for familiar faces.

There! Standing right behind the commentator's box were the rest of his friend group. Kazuha, Ayaka and Ayato were huddled behind Yoimiya, red and gold Gryffindor scarves draped around their necks. Thoma began to fly in their direction to greet them, when a strong gust of wind swept through his hair. He ran a hand through his golden locks, doing his best to sweep it backwards as it blew wildly across his face.

Looking up, he saw Kazuha and Ayaka waving at him. Yoimiya waved meekly at him while rubbing the top of her head. Ayato, however, was facing the opposite direction, half of his face buried in the Gryffindor scarf Thoma always lent him before his matches. Thoma was bewildered. Maybe Ayato had not noticed him approaching? He made to call out to his friends, but the referee blew her whistle to signal that the match was resuming. Swallowing his slight disappointment at missing out an acknowledgement from one of his friends, Thoma steeled himself and shifted his focus back to the game.

For the rest of the time, Itto, Tomo and Thoma working hard to bring their points up while keeping their heads safe on their shoulders as the opposing team's Beaters got increasingly aggressive. There were a few close calls with the clever and sly Slytherin Seeker, Heizou, almost catching the golden snitch, but the Gryffindor Chaser trio managed to keep their lead wide enough to prevent him from catching it and ending the game with a Slytherin win.

Eventually, the Gryffindor seeker caught ahold of the snitch, the red-gold half of the stadium bursting into celebration as Gryffindor clinched another win for the season.

As usual, everything that happened the moment the Gryffindor team touched down was a blur, the team caught up in a whirlwind of cheers, fist bumps and hugs as people came to congratulate them for their win on their way back to the Gryffindor dorms for their post-win celebration party.

By the time Thoma and the team reached the dorms, the common room was already getting lively and things were getting into full swing. Exhilarated, Thoma bounced over to where his friends stood at their unofficial corner by the fireplace. "Thomaaaaaa! Tomoooo! Congratulations!" Yoimiya barrelled into the two of them, dragging the two of them and the rest of their friends into a sudden group hug. Tomo gleefully wrapped an arm around Kazuha's waist, squishing him against his side. Ayato was shoved towards Thoma's side, and Thoma instinctively stretched out an arm across his back to steady him. Ayato was strangely silent, but Thoma didn't have the time to question him before his arms moved to drape across his friends as they squeezed each other into the group hug. Ayaka let out a giggle at their own shenanigans.

The group broke apart after a few moments, grabbing a few of the snacks laid out at the centre of the room before retreating back to their corner, throwing themselves onto the couches.

By the time they returned, Ayato seemed to have recovered from whatever silent spell he had previously, happily joining in with the rest of them as they recounted the events of the match.

"Did you see Tomo's face when he almost dropped the quaffle?"

"When the back of Thoma's broomstick swept across one of the Slytherin's faces, I nearly died laughing. Thoma, the master of housework!"

"Guys, that wasn't intentional! I swear! I didn't know he was behind me!"

This time, Ayato was sitting across from Thoma. Thoma discreetly watched him and his heart skipped a beat each time he laughed at one of their jokes, his hand sometimes failing to rise up completely to cover his mouth before he burst into laughter. It wasn't often that Ayato was this lively and relaxed, and Thoma wanted to treasure this rare scene with him and his friends.

Thoma sniggered internally when a few nervous first-years glanced towards Ayato as fire-whiskey started to be handed out. Ayato, noticing their fear at openly drinking in front of the head boy, chuckled and smoothly crossed his legs in front of him. "I don't see anything today. But hand us a few of those invisible things you have in your hands, alright?" Maybe it wasn't very responsible of Ayato, but he always turned a blind eye when it came to celebrations, as long as things did not get out of hand.

Soon, a drinking competition was started between the six friends. It always happened whenever they were together at parties, lead confidently by Yoimiya and Tomo while being egged on in the shadows by Kazuha and Ayato. Thoma swore the latter two were secret drinking buddies. Ayaka, sweet angel that she was, was never forced to participate in the excessive drinking, and she had the privilege of leisurely sipping at her drink while watching the rest of them make a fool of themselves.

Or namely, Tomo, Yoimiya and Thoma. Though he was a little embarrassed to admit it, Thoma was... not very good with alcohol. Especially ones as strong as fire-whiskey. A few sips were enough to make him tipsy, and half a bottle sufficient to knock him out or make him do very embarrassing things he would have no recollection of the next day. All in all, Thoma was determined not to drink to the point of blacking out this time, unlike what happened during their last drinking contest held in celebration of Ayato's birthday.

"Ha! Take this!" Tomo slammed down a card onto the table. Unlike his counterpart, Kazuha gracefully extracted a card from the ones held in his hands, placing it on top of Tomo's. A counter card that passed the effects over to the next in turn. Thoma gulped nervously. Yoimiya cackled gleefully.

"Thoma, Thoma, Thoma. Are you really going to lose this badly like you did at Ayato's birthday? Are we going to get you drunk enough to dance in the centre of the room again?"

Pressured, Thoma searched through his deck. Just his luck, all of his cards sucked. He dejectedly placed a random card onto the table, one easily countered by the next player. Thoma grabbed a cup of water and hastily gulped it down, preparing himself for the inevitable punishment.

Ayato tapped his chin in contemplation, humming as he surveyed the cards on the table. "Oh, my! Looks like it's my turn to take the punishment." He made a show of sounding and looking disappointed as he placed down a card that was, to everyone's surprise - even worse than Thoma's.

"I lost," Ayato announced sagely.

It was obvious it was on purpose. Ayato never lost a game, unless he wanted to. He happily accepted the punishment drink - a mixture of five different alcoholic beverages, and promptly drained the glass.

"Brother, you need to stop drinking so much all the time," Ayaka admonished him lightly. Ayato laughed after putting down the now empty glass, unfazed by the alcohol. "Now now, my dear sister, I have to stick to my word and accept my punishment! What kind of Kamisato would I be otherwise?"

The competition lasted late into the night.

By the time they were done, Yoimiya was slumped across the arm of the couch, tired out from her drunken stint of cartwheeling across the entire common room. Tomo and Kazuha lay one on top of the other, while Ayaka slept with her head on Ayato's shoulders. Ayato was the only other one awake, though he was looking slightly the worse for wear.

Strangely, Thoma was feeling very sober and only comfortably warm despite the copious amounts of alcohol the group had went through that night. Maybe his tolerance had finally gotten better? Though it was probably because he was helped by Ayato's whimsical urge to sample the different punishment cocktails they had mixed for that night's competition, which saved Thoma from losing the game a humiliating number of times.

Thoma retreated to the bedrooms to grab a few spare blankets, draping them across his friends. When he reached Ayato and Ayaka, Ayato smiled up at him, placing a finger across his lips to indicate that they should be silent before he stood up, gently laying his sister down on the sofa and placing the blanket on top of her.

Standing next to Thoma, his gentle swaying the only indication that he had had anything to drink, Ayato looked up at him. The rest of the partygoers had long retreated back to their rooms, and Thoma could hear the gentle sounds of their breathing as he admire the way the light from the fireplace illuminated Ayato's features.

The urge to break the silence rose within Thoma and he opened his mouth to ask the question he had wanted to ask, so many times, with so many missed opportunities.

He shouldn’t be surprised when he got interrupted yet again. But he was - because Ayato, this time, took his by the arm and all but dragged him onto a vacant couch some feet away from the rest of their friends. Flabbergasted by the sudden forwardness, Thoma could do nothing but sit down next to Ayato on the cushions, their shoulders brushing each other’s gently.

Ayato turned to face him, his legs crossed over each other and an elbow pressed against the backrest. Placing a hand on his cheek, Ayato regarded him with a twinkle in his eye.

“I never got to say this to you personally, but congratulations on your win Thoma.”

Thoma coughed embarrassedly, scratching the back of his neck so that his hands had something to do.

“Ahh… you know me. Quidditch is the only thing I’m good at.”

“That’s not true,” Ayato said seriously, his eyes refusing to break contact with Thoma’s flustered ones as Ayato leaned slightly closer in earnest. Their noses were just a few inches away. Thoma was too scared to avert his eyes, losing himself in the depth of Ayato's pale blue orbs.

“You are clever,” Ayato began. “Kind. Always seeing the best in everyone, that’s not something most people can do. Something I can do.”

“Ah, Ayato, are you trying to make me blush again on purpose - “

“And you’re also attractive,” Ayato mused, finger lightly tapping his chin. He picked up a box, cutely wrapped in pink paper and topped with a huge bow from one of the many piles scattered around the common room. Their match against Slytherin was a huge one wrought with tension and age-old rivalry, and friends and fans of the Quidditch team came to the party with congratulatory gifts. An unreadable expression crossed Ayato’s face when he noticed Thoma’s name penned stylishly across gift. It was clear that a lot of effort had been put into the gift. “Not that it’s a good thing.” He muttered.

“Hey, what was that -“

“Anyways,” Ayato smoothed out his expression, lightly tossing the present to the side before brightening up and clapping his hands together. “I have a gift for you too!”

Ayato extracted a tiny bottle from his robes, pressing it into Thoma’s hands. Thoma looked down to study it - it was a standard potions bottle, made of glass and capped tightly with a stop. A string was tied around it, a card dangling from its end. And contained within the bottle was a beautiful, crystal blue liquid.

Memories of fairy wings, hand on hand, and an almost disastrous potions class flashed through Thoma’s mind.

Nervously, Thoma looked up at Ayato’s smiling countenance. “Ayato, why would you give me one of your… concoctions?”

Mocking offence, Ayato tutted. “I made that one with effort and you in mind, Thoma! In fact,” he continued, smirking and tilting his head to the side. “You even had some of it just now.”

Flabbergasted, Thoma gasped out, “Ayato! You can’t just go around testing your potions on people, even if it’s me!”

Ayato quickly changed the subject. “Ah, time for me to go! Let me wake Ayaka and walk her back to the Ravenclaw rooms,” he exclaimed. With that, he got up, rolling his shoulders backwards. Thoma hadn’t realised how close together they were sitting, missing the warmth that was previously pressed comfortingly by his side.

“I’ll go with you.” Thoma immediately offered, standing up, forgetting about having been fed one of Ayato’s creations.

He didn’t offer to walk them back just because he wanted to prolong the time with just the two of them, though Thoma did miss Ayato’s presence throughout the hustle and excitement of the party. Thoma had seen how much Ayato had downed that day. Maybe it was the stress, though Ayato did love his alcohol, to Ayaka’s exasperation. Nevertheless, though Ayato would never be caught stumbling, there was a slight glaze in his eyes - the only indication that he was just a little tipsy.

Ayato nodded head in silent assent, a small and genuine smile gracing his features.

With that, Thoma slipped the gift bottle into his robes and the two of them, together with a sleepy Ayaka, made their way through the dimly lit corridors to the Ravenclaw rooms.

Thoma waited by the entrance to the Ravenclaw dorms while Ayato brought Ayaka in. Ayato was taking a little longer than expected, and Thoma brought out the potions bottle again, his thumb lightly stroking its smooth surface one before taking the hanging card in his hand.

Under the flicker of a nearby candlelight, Thoma curiously opened it.

Only for his heart to fall in confusion, then disappointment, before it started to thump excitedly with an inexplicable mixture of surprise, embarrassment and exhilaration.