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“What?” Florian almost dropped his fork, just barely resisting the urge to jump out of his seat. “What do you mean he fainted? Is he okay?”
“I’m sure he’s fine— well, I’m sure he’s stable at least. Physically not ment—”
“I get it.” He shut the Dragon Tamer up with a scathing glare. He didn’t need his personal commentary right now, instead turning to the much more reliable source of information at the lunch table. “What happened?”
“Someone found him passed out on the floor in the dorm halls.” Taking up the mantle Lacey answered to the best of her ability, stroking lightly at her own hair, her chocolate eyes having trouble meeting Florian’s as she broke the news. “He’s at the school hospital right now as far as I know but I’m not sure if he’s awake.”
“Is he ok—” He stopped himself from asking the same question, pivoting to the next thing on his mind. “Why am I the only one upset about this?”
“‘Cause you wanna make out with him so bad it makes you look stupid.”
“Drayton!” Smacking his arm Lacey set a cross look at their eating partner. “You don’t say stuff like that out loud, it’s just not right!”
“I– I don’t…” The Galarian’s attempt to stammer out a defense failed, caught off guard by being so suddenly called out and more worried about trying to hide his rapidly flushing face.
Wait— what did Lacey say?
“See Florian, the thing is it’s…” The pink haired girl hesitated trying to find the right words. “Well, it’s not the first time it’s happened. Fair from it actually.”
“What…? It’s not?” He could feel his heart fall, looking around the table for confirmation. “But why does—”
“Have you not seen him in the locker room?” The white haired boy leaned forwards far on his elbows, getting as close into Florian’s personal space as he could with the limitations of the table and his usual aversion to effort.
Florian shook his head, trying to avoid the boy's lazy yellow gaze. “I haven’t had gym with him before.” But now the thought was suddenly in his head and he tilted his head downwards in an attempt to hide the pink attempting to dust his cheeks once more. He knew he shouldn’t feel like this, not after everything that happened but—
“Well, don’t worry about it so much, you’re not missing out. The thing is skin and bones.”
Florian let out an indignant squeak of protest when the taller's hand was placed on his head, shooing it away with a crossly flustered look to his face.
“I— I wasn’t thinking about that, why would you—”
“Drayton, quit teasing him.” With a sigh the Fairy-Type specialist turned her attention back to Florian. “I’m honestly surprised you didn’t know… with the way he eats it isn’t really surprising.”
“Well, what does he eat?” Toying with his own food now Florian couldn’t help but frown. How did he not know about this already?
“Well, he never comes to lunch and the best I’ve seen him eat is a chocolate snack cake here and there while he was training. I don’t know what he eats in his dorm but if Drayton’s to be believed I can’t imagine it’s very much.”
“I’m a very trustworthy and reliable source I’ll have you know.”
Florian toned out of the conversation at that point, the two were only bickering now anyway— or rather, Drayton was being an ass and Lacey was responding to that. It didn’t matter though, what mattered was the new information rattling about in the chestnut haired trainer’s head. Kieran ate so little he fainted. He was still probably in the nurses office right now as well.
He pushed his half eaten tray towards Drayton before standing up, garnering the two’s attention. “I’m gonna head out, I’ll see you.”
“Don’t forget, sleeping beauty woke up with a kiss!”
His steps grew faster as Drayton’s voice echoed throughout the cafeteria. He just could not stand him sometimes.
Florian’s navigation to the wards was less than stellar, having to stop multiple times to check the postaging and taking a wrong turn more than once. This thing had no right to be as hard to find as it was.
Finally though he reached it, pushing through the doors to be met with a small holding area, the school’s nurse sat at the counter up front.
“Um, hi…” He waved as he approached, his heart racing as he started to wonder if this was even a good idea. “I’m one of Kieran’s…” He hesitated for a half second. “Friends. I was wondering how he was doing.”
“He’s doing alright.” The nurse said with a reassuring voice. “He came too not long after he was brought in but he’s resting again now. Poor thing keeps pushing himself so hard…”
“Can I go see him?” Florian’s voice came out soft and hopeful, a tentative, delicate thing.
“Be good.” The nurse warned although it was tempered by the pitiful smile on her lips.
Giving a nod before he walked off Florian headed to the back room, there was only one so finding Kieran wouldn’t be a hard task and sure enough there he was behind the first set of curtains. He figured the nurse would have told him if anyone else was in here.
They had taken his headband out, black and purple locks fanned out around his head on the pillow beneath. He was missing his signature jacket too, resting on a table nearby in favour of a damp cloth laying across his forehead.
Florian approached carefully, creeping up to the Kitakamian’s side. Sleeping there Kieran looked more peaceful than he had seen him in months. It made his heart ache, shot through with the desire to see him so relaxed more often.
Just as slowly he leaned forwards, drawn like a moth to a flame downwards. He swallowed hard as he stared down, studying over the sleeping boy’s features. His mouth rested open just slightly, lids light against each other. He really was beautiful.
Drayton’s parting words flitted through Florian’s mind like an annoying persistent thing. He was here because he cared about Kieran, despite everything that had happened. Kieran was asleep. Not to mention Florian had managed to rip away his hopes and dreams a second time not days prior. He couldn’t possibly—
“Forgive me…” He murmured quietly into the still room, leaning down slow and tentative, ready to leap back at the slightest movement. Their noses were so close now, just a little closer and…
With a small, stuttering breath he pivoted, planting his lips gently against Kieran’s cheek, just below his eye before pulling away with the smallest hint of a smile.
One day, he hoped.
Impulse still managed to get the better of him though, the hand on the bed trailing up first to fix the strap of his bright red tank top, noticing it must have fallen at some point. It was a touch that lingered though, the toe in the water before he submerged.
He needed to know.
Florian’s hand trailed further downwards, feeling gently across Kieran’s chest and lower to his abdomen. A frown spread across his face as his fingers trailed over every bump. How long had it been like this? Any amount of time was too long but to think this might have been another thing he was the catalyst for…
He let his hands linger a moment longer, resting gently on the boy’s stomach as he took comfort in the warmth, in the gentle rise and fall of his chest. Kieran was alive. He wanted it to stay that way.
At last he pushed himself up, he needed to get out of there before Kieran woke up, although he hoped for the sake of his rest that wouldn’t be for a while. Taking one last look on his way out an idea formed in his mind. Discarding his plans for the rest of the day in favour of a trip to the store.
The plastic was still warm against his palms as he stood staring at the door in front of him. He knew Kieran woke up early so he had woken up even earlier, the sun hadn’t even risen on the digital displays yet. But now he was met with a dilemma.
He thought he had already done the hard part. Waking up way before his usual hour, spending time heating pans and cutting vegetables and meats and arranging it just so until it was a perfect little meal wrapped entirely in the plastic container he held now. But the simple act of knocking against the door proved to be a much more daunting task.
If Kieran saw him would he even take the food? Let alone hear him out why he was there in the first place? He hadn’t so much as seen Kieran set foot out of anywhere that wasn’t the dorms or the classrooms since he had taken the title of champion from him.
Drayton convinced him it was the right thing to do but…
He was pretty sure Kieran hated him now.
At the same time he couldn’t just let Kieran go hungry, hate him or not this was still the same boy who had stolen his heart, and he was starving himself.
In a split second decision he set the meal carefully on the ground in front of the door, a move he tried to convince himself was born out of necessity and not cowardice. Then, stealing away his nerves he raised his fist, pounding it down three times against the door.
His heart pounded, overtaking every sound in his ears as he realised he had done it. It wasn’t until he heard a movement from inside that it truly kicked in he needed to get out of there. Turning on his heels he fled behind the corner with the speed of a Sudowoodo whose cover had been blown. The only difference was he hoped he wouldn’t be discovered.
A creak echoed through the hall in what Florian could only assume was Kieran’s door opening.
“Hello?”
Curiosity got the better of him as he peaked his head from around the wall, recoiling quickly when Kieran’s head started turning from the opposite end of the hall towards his.
His heart was still thumping when he looked again, Kieran had spotted the food on the ground, just staring at it. He looked so tired.
The black haired boy finally knelt down, picking up the box and inspecting it with a critical eye. At first Florian was worried he was just going to leave it there. He had a different worry when Kieran started scanning the hall again.
Dipping behind the wall he hid there this time until he had heard another creak. When he finally got the nerve to look again, Kieran was gone. So was the box.
A thrill of giddiness ran through his chest. He couldn’t be sure Kieran would actually eat it, but he had taken the box and that was the best he could have hoped for. Maybe he would be able to tell when he saw him in classes later today.
For now he had to return to his own dorm, it was almost time to get ready, although he might be able to sneak in a thirty minute nap first.
By the time classes ended, Florian was yawning up a storm. He thinks he might’ve fallen asleep in history, if he was being honest. He still had work to do though. For the better half of the day he had been having a back and forth with Carmine, trying to figure out what kinds of foods Kieran liked the best while trying to fight her constant accusations of caring a suspicious amount alongside adding any ingredients he might need to a digital shopping cart set to be delivered around the time he would arrive back to his room.
Sure enough he was greeted with a pile of plastic bags surrounding his door like a blockade. It was a fiasco to open the door, let alone get everything in. Somehow he managed though, sorting out everything into the fridge or freezer if they needed and the shelves if not.
He didn’t think his shelves had ever been so full. To be honest he didn’t eat that great himself typically, but none of this was for him. Sure he’d make enough for himself as well, but if not for Kieran he wouldn’t be doing it at all.
Luckily Carmine had given him plenty of ideas, and the one that seemed easiest to him right now was chicken fried rice. She hadn’t said it was his favourite, but Florian was worried about coming off as a weirdo if he came out with his favourite right out the gate.
He could do that tomorrow.
Still worried about coming out right and giving it to him, he planned on doing the same knock and dash method as earlier. He was sure he would be there by the time he was finished, the Kitakamian barely left his dorm after his defeat after all. Florian pushed down the guilt of that thought as he finished packaging away the rice alongside a handful of steamed vegetables.
That song and dance continued for some days now. The Galarian would knock on the door and ditch before Kieran could ever figure out it was him.
Every time Florian finished packaging up a meal he would feel giddy about it, the feeling lingering all the way to the taller’s dorm door. He was getting away with it! He was sure it was helping too, Kieran seemed to be in a better mood in classes— even if he was still not in a great mood, he wasn’t being quite as sluggish anymore. He could almost see a hint of glimmer in his eyes some days.
Florian’s only regret was that he couldn’t give him lunch on days they had classes, having absolutely no idea where the boy went off to during lunch period. Luckily he was still able to get him the three classic meals a day over the last weekend.
“So is there any news about Kieran?” He asked as he took his seat at the table, pulling out his own lunch that had happened to also be Kieran’s breakfast.
“Oh hi Flor, yes, I’m doing good, thanks for asking.” Drayton replied, his voice dry despite the smile on his face.
“A-ah! S-sorry, I just wanted to—”
“To know if Kieran’s fainted again since last time. No, he still hasn’t.” Waving a hand dismissively, the white haired boy popped a chip from his tray into his mouth. “I’m starting to wonder if you’re looking forward to it with how often you’ve been asking though.”
“Huh? Why would I want him to faint?!” Florian had barely gotten the lid off his lunch box, the lid still held aloft as he tried to recover from the sudden accusation. “I’m just worried about him!”
“Mhm. You know that thing I said about sleeping beauty was only a joke, right?”
The question went in one ear and out the other, Florian remembering something else that had been on his mind recently. “Oh! By the way, have you had a gym class with him recently? How was he looking?”
The Dragon Tamer’s brow furrowed— a rare and by extension concerning expression on the usually relaxed trainer. “Bud, whatever you’re thinking, it's not worth getting expelled over. I’m sure if you just asked he’d be DTF, I mean he can hardly keep his eyes off you whenever you’re in the same room so—”
In response Florian furrowed his own brow. He had learned to be cautious whenever Drayton used an acronym he had never heard before. “...What does ‘D-T-F’ mean?”
“Down to fuc—”
Florian reached across the table, slapping his palms over the taller boy’s mouth before he could finish. “Drayton! I don’t! That’s not!” He stammered, feeling his face get hotter the longer Drayton’s words sank in. “That’s not what this is about you perv!”
In one swift motion he slammed his hands on the table, pushing himself off his spot with enough force to rattle it as he started to storm out towards the door before anyone could notice how flustered he was.
“Are you gonna want—?”
Florian took a sharp inhale, stomping back over and swiping his tupperware off the table before Drayton could get his greedy paws on it. “Yes!”
Reeling on his heels, he left for real. He could eat somewhere else today.
Rounding the corner towards the Terarium he ran into the last person he expected, almost literally.
“K-Kieran!” Florian stammered, fumbling his lunch, trying not to drop it before having the thought to tuck it behind his back. It would be back if he realised it was the same thing he had presumably eaten this morning.
The former champion stayed silent, his yellow gaze hard as it scanned its way up Florian, eventually ending at his eyes.
Swallowing hard when the silence stretched on an uncomfortable amount, Florian did the only thing he knew how to do in a situation like this— run his mouth. “Ahaha, ahh… Just got run out of the cafeteria by Drayton. That guy, am I right?” He noticed Kieran’s brow twitch and decided to change subjects. “So uh, didn’t expect to see you around, what’re you doing?”
“Walking.” Kieran said bluntly, although he didn’t try and go around Florian, in fact he stayed still. That in itself was a different reaction than he would have had during his time as champion.
“Ahh ahah… y-yeah.”
The silence was back again, Florian’s face getting redder the longer the impromptu staring contest went on before it grew too much for him. “Oh hey! You know I uh, I don’t usually see you during lunch time, where do you get up to?”
The Kitakamian’s expression dropped to the ground, scuffing his shoe against the tiled flooring. “Around.”
“Ah! That’s… nice.” Every synonym for stupid was scrolling through his mind as he watched himself completely blunder this conversation, but the worst was yet to come. “Hey, you should come eat at the cafeteria with me tomorrow!”
Kieran’s face rotated through a myriad of reactions like a spinner wheel at a casino, eyes first going wide, then squinting as his brow furrowed, before finally ending with a single eyebrow raised. “Why would you want to eat lunch with me?”
“W—” He had to still his tongue, biting by the question of why wouldn’t he want to eat lunch with him. As far as he was concerned Kieran was the most ‘want to eat lunch with’able person in the entire facility, even if he was still being cold to him. That probably wouldn’t be received well, if he had to guess though. “‘Cause I think it would be fun to eat lunch together!”
He flinched, the last thing Kieran probably wanted to do was ‘have fun’ given how he had been acting recently, but the words were out though, so that’s what he was stuck with.
Kieran’s eyes widened again before falling back to the floor with a turn of his head. “Oh I get it… You want to make fun of me in front of everyone for losing, don’t you.”
“W-what?!” The idea almost made Florian drop the food still held aloft behind his back. ”No! Why would I want to do that?!”
“I just want to hang out with you.” He mumbled, the words coming unfiltered from his heart before he could stop them. “Is that a crime?...”
The former champion replayed through his earlier actions, wide eyes darting up to Florian and just as quickly back at the ground, his fist knocking rhythmically against his thigh. “I don’t have time to—” Florian watched as he cut himself off with a sigh, body stilling as his eyes were hidden behind his eyelids. “Fine.” And just like that the piercing yellow gaze was set back on him. “It’s not like I have anything better to do, since I’m not Champion anymore.”
The harshness of Kieran’s tone made Florian wince, but that didn’t stop the smile from crossing his face. He almost couldn’t believe he had agreed! The last time they had eaten together was all the way back in Kitakami. “Great! I can’t wait, thank you!”
“Um… yeah.” The taller boy mumbled back, taking a halfstep back with a frown. “I’ll… see you tomorrow then.”
Without waiting for a response Kieran stepped around him, heading off to wherever it was he had been going to. It wasn’t until he was out of sight that Florian realised he had been staring at him like a dope the whole time.
The excitement finally caught up to him and he couldn’t stop himself from doing a little victory hop, grinning all the rest of the way to the Terarium. Finding a spot to sit at the rest area Florian started eating his lunch, although his mind was busy thinking about tomorrow. He wasn’t sure if Kieran would bring his own food or not, he wasn’t sure if he had any in the first place.
Florian would make something for him just in case, and if he did have something he would just have extra later for himself. It would be too suspicious if he made something Kieran really liked too, he’d have to make sure it was something he liked himself too.
Taking a bite of the mushroom rice he couldn’t stop his feet from kicking happily out in front of him. He would finally get to give Kieran three meals on a week day. Maybe he’d even get to hear what Kieran thought of his cooking. He hoped it was good.
Maybe if everything went well enough he’d even be able to eat with Kieran more and make sure he got lunch every day. That would be nice.
When he arrived in the cafeteria he found Kieran already there, the purple haired boy sitting alone at a table in the corner. The empty spots were probably the choice of everyone involved.
“Kieran, hi.” He greeted as he approached, sitting down across from him and pulling out his lunch bag.
“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.” The boy across from him mumbled, studying the texture of the table as he reached for something out of his bag.
“Yeah sorry, I got a little held up by one of the teachers, but I’m here now!” He kept a sharp eye on what Kieran was grabbing, his heart falling as the only thing the boy procured was a small, snack sized chocolate bun. The wrapper crinkled as he unwrapped it, nibbling on it held in both hands.
That wouldn’t do at all.
He was glad he had prepared two boxes now, he had a feeling he would need to. The food was cold as he pulled out a container in each hand, it was meant to be though. He was being careful not to drop them as he manoeuvred them out.
“If that’s how much food you normally eat you’re going to get fat.”
The words caught Florian so off guard he couldn’t help but let out a single shocked laugh, looking at the Kitakamian as he continued slowly gnawing on his sad excuse for a meal. The icing on the cake being that while Florian wasn’t necessarily overweight, he certainly wasn’t what people would call skinny. He was more than well aware he had a bit of fluff on him.
“Is that a bad thing?”
“I uh—” Kieran’s eyes went wide, looking up at Florian with a slacked jaw and deer in the headlights expression. “I that’s not— I mean— It’s not a bad thing…” He finally mumbled, his face pink, turning to stare at the bun. “There’s nothing wrong with being fat— I didn’t mean that, pudgy people are cute and—” He inhaled sharply, looking even farther down like he was a Squirtle trying to hide in its shell. “That’s not what I meant either. I mean it’s not wrong but— that… It’s just it’s…” He took a deep breath in, resetting himself. “It’s not an appearance thing… It's just being too much overweight isn’t good for your health. That’s all.”
“You know what else isn’t good for your health?” Florian hummed watching the flustered boy look up at him through dusty lashes as he pushed one of the containers towards him. “Eating so little that you end up skin and bones.”
“This one is for you. It’s noodles with chicken and a white mushroom sauce on it.”
“You… made it for me?” Mouth hung slightly open, yellow eyes trailed from the box in front of him up to Florian seeking a confirmation like a stray Growlithe being thrown a bone.
Smiling softly, Florian nudged it just a little bit closer before going to open the lid on his own container. “Yeah, I hope you’ll like it.”
Florian had already winded and eaten three full forks of spaghetti before Kieran finally stopped staring at the food and started eating it instead, twirling the utensil around and around before bringing it up to his awaiting mouth.
“It’s good…” The answer was subdued, quiet and lacking any of the bite the voice so often carried now, but judging on how quickly he took a second bite, and then a third, he was enjoying it.
“Thank you.” A smile overtook Florian’s face, paying more attention watching Kieran eat than his own food. It brought a warmth to his chest and settled his heart. With any luck Kieran had been eating his other cooking as well.
“Are… you who…” Already more than three fourths done, Kieran looked up suddenly, although his head was still tilted down like he was trying to hide behind fringe that was no longer there.
“Hmm?”
“Never mind.” Kieran shook his head, shoveling the rest of the food in his mouth before standing up, already starting to turn towards the door. “Thank you for the food.”
“Wait—” Florian pushed himself up on his arms, flinching when the word came out louder than intended, possibly over adjusting when he whispered the next. “Do you wanna eat lunch together again tomorrow?”
Frozen in place Kieran blinked, yellow eyes darting over Florian’s face until they fixed themselves literally anywhere but him. “I— I’ll think about it.”
Well, it was better than a no, Florian smiled as he watched Kieran retreat out the double doors. He’d have to prepare something for lunch, just in case.
Florian hummed softly as he placed the container on the ground in front of Kieran’s door like he had so many times before, still in high spirits from lunch earlier.
Now that he knew for sure Kieran was probably eating the food, he wanted to make one of his favourites, a rice and pork dish his grandma apparently made him a lot. This time he even included a small brownie with it, thinking it might be nice to start including a dessert when he dropped off dinner
Straightening up he lifted his fist getting ready to make a mad dash out of there as soon as his hand hit the door.
Something caught his wrist.
A yelp tore from his mouth at the unexpected contact, flailing in a flurry of limbs to try and get away before his other hand was caught too, held firmly just above either side of his head. When at last his mind wasn’t so clouded with panic, he realised he was face to face with Kieran.
Suddenly his face burned, staying speechless as Kieran looked him up and down, flitting towards the plastic container on the ground for only a moment before fixing back on Florian’s own honey-brown eyes.
“So it is you…” The taller boy mumbled to himself, a slight narrow to his eyes when he addressed Florian properly. “Why?”
“Huh?”
“Why are you doing this? Why do you keep bringing me of all people food?” The grip on his wrists tightened as Kieran crowded closer, piercing yellow gaze burning into him like fire to a metal beam.
“Do you not like it…?” Florian asked quietly, unable to keep the dejection from creeping into his voice, already preparing for the worst in his head. He couldn’t believe he had gotten careless enough to be caught, it had been going so well.
“That’s not what I said.” The former Champion’s grip on his wrists tightened even further before going slack, barely keeping them in place at all. “Why me?”
“Because… Lacey and Drayton told me you’ve been fainting… I didn’t want that to keep happening.” Honey-brown eyes were set on Kieran’s tank top, although they weren’t looking at it, scared to see what expression might form on Kieran’s face.
“So you’re pitying me, just like everyone else.”
Something reared its head in Florian at that, capturing eye contact once again, this time with a searing gaze of his own. “Pitying someone and caring about them are two different things.”
Kieran’s expression shifted, eyes widening just enough it softened his face, the hard set to his mouth smoothing away into something more slack as the gaze lingered, neither boy looking away.
“Whatever.” With a scoff Kieran finally released his wrists completely, turning away and unlocking his door. The Kitakamian hesitated a moment before bending down and picking up the food. “Don’t say anything. I just don’t want to waste good food, that’s all.”
He walked further into the dorm, the door staying wide behind him. He was almost at the end of the hall when he twisted, torso facing towards the wall, not quite looking back at the hallway as he picked at the corner of the plastic lid covering his food. “You can come in… if you want.”
For a moment Florian just stared, his breath catching in his throat as Kieran disappeared further into the dorm. At last he creeped in, each set taken as slowly and quietly as a Litten trying to sneak into its trainers room in the middle of the night to sleep.
The light was dim in the room, Florian had to blink a few times to get his eyes to adjust, luckily he had spent plenty of time in Penny’s room, and she kept it even darker with blackout curtains.
When his eyes finally adjusted… it was an absolute mess in the dorm room. Empty bottles of Soda Pop and wrappers from chocolate buns littered the surfaces. Every space that wasn’t covered in garbage was instead occupied by scrawlings of battle strategies or books on the subject. Even the walls weren’t spared, paged ripped out and pinned to the surface, paint pens used not only on the papers but the wall itself, uncaring of the marks they left behind.
The only thing that made it better than Penny’s room was the fact the residue left in the bottom of ramen cups could mold.
Florian turned the corner to find Kieran sitting on the side of his bed, already having opened the container and staring down at it, a fork lodged between his right hand and the container he was holding with both.
“... there’s a brownie this time.”
“Yeah.” Tentatively Florian walked over, the fact Kieran hadn’t sat in the middle of the bed feeling like a small invitation. He just hoped he was right about that as he lowered himself to the bed. “I thought I could maybe start including a dessert with dinner… if you want me to keep making you food anyway.”
“I… I mean I wouldn’t stop you…” At last the purple haired boy moved his fork to skewer a piece of pork along with a healthy portion of rice, pausing a moment before he brought it up to his mouth, putting on a harsher tone. “That’s on you if you want to waste your time.”
“It’s not wasting my time, if it’s for you.” The soft spoken words slipped out on their own, painting Florian’s face pink. He didn’t take them back though, it was true, after all.
Kieran didn’t respond to that, his hand freezing midair the only sign he had heard.
The room sat in silence as Kieran continued eating, a steady rhythm of scooping, lifting, chewing, swallowing. Florian could hear the distinct sounds of each one but he didn’t mind.
After a while Florian spoke up with a fragile question that had been nagging at him since he had started this whole thing. “Is it good?” A silent seeking of approval, no matter what it was for.
“...” Kieran paused with his food aloft again, eventually he answered even quieter before pulling another bite into his mouth. “really good…”
“Why did you decide to start this anyway?” After drawing the last of the meal proper into his mouth, the Kitakamian broke the silence this time, glancing over at Florian without moving his head much. His yellow eyes looked to almost glow in the dim light.
“I already told you, I heard you fainted, and… Well, Drayton said he could see your ribs.”
Florian watched quietly as Kieran's hand lifted, coming down over his own stomach and holding it.
A beat passed, Florian quietly observing the boy lost in thoughts of his own before finally curiosity and concern got the better of him.
“Can I see?”
“What!?” The exclamation broke the silent atmosphere, the former Champion holding the tray with only a brownie remaining closer to his chest. “N-no, that’s embarrassing!”
“I just want to make sure I can’t see your ribs anymore.” Doing his best to reassure him Florian frowned, unable to stop the worry from tinting his expression.
Kieran grumbled, looking away from Florian before setting his brownie beside him. “Fine… but… you can’t make fun of me, okay?”
“I would never.”
Hesitantly Kieran peeled up his tank top, revealing his chest and stomach beneath. His ribs were still visible, it had only been a little over a week after all, but unless Florian was imagining things they did seem a little bit less visible. He wasn’t going to comment on it though. What caught his attention more was a small bulge in the boy’s stomach, obviously distended against the rest of his skin thanks to his size. At a healthy weight it probably wouldn’t even be visible.
“It’s cute…” Florian mumbled quietly, not trying to hide where his gaze had landed, a gentle warmth having spread through him at the sight that trickled into his words.
“I told you not to make fun of me…” For the first time since Florian had transferred here Kieran sounded genuinely hurt and fragile, the words lacking any bite. He had come close, back after their champion fight, but even that had more of a disbelieving lilt to it.
The sound almost broke Florian’s heart, quickly scrambling to rectify it. “I’m not making fun of you! I promise.”
The Kitakamian continued, whether he believed him or not, glancing down at the floor. “It… It ends up happening every time I eat one of your meals.”
“I like that.” The murmur escaped unbidden as Florian returned his eyes to his stomach.
“That… my stomach bloats?”
The amount of side eye Kieran gave in that moment was enough to kill a man twice Florian’s size and he found himself gaping like a Magikarp as he tried to gather a response.
“No I mean— when you say it like that it sounds weird… It just makes me happy to see.”
“Why?”
“I…” Biting his lip Florian glanced away to anywhere that wasn’t Kieran, ultimately failing when he closed his eyes, opening to have the purple haired boy once again filling his vision. “I’m not really sure how to explain it without it sounding weird. I guess, just being able to see it. It makes me feel like— That something I made is helping… ugh… I don’t know how to…” A grunt fell out of his mouth, followed up by a sigh. There really wasn’t a good way to word this, is there? “Is helping to keep you nourished.”
His voice was barely a murmur against the open air of the dorm now. “It just feels nice to know that.”
Unconsciously he moved his hand to Kieran’s stomach, letting it rest gently atop the skin. Surprisingly Kieran didn’t shrink away, nor did he swat his hand away, in fact if anything he seemed to lean into the touch as Florian’s hand trailed up, feeling over his rib cage in a delicate caress. Florian’s mouth was caught somewhere between a smile and a frown.
When Florian’s digits trailed back over the former Champion’s stomach he let out a small starved hum, pressing himself further into the touch before his eyes shot open, grabbing Florian by the wrist and tugging it away from his stomach with a face turned red.
“O-okay, I think that’s enough looking.” Stammering, Kieran pushed himself from the bed, his tank top falling back into place as he pulled Florian up, immediately starting to usher him out of his room. “You’ve been in here long enough, it’s time to get out.”
“O-okay, yeah.” Florian put up no resistance as he was pushed by his shoulder until he was met with the threshold, hesitating as he stepped one foot outside. “Will I… Will I see you at lunch tomorrow?”
“Will I see you at breakfast?” Kieran countered, gaze fixed on the ground by Florian’s feet.
“Yeah.”
“Good…” The reply was spoken just as softly as the answer, the Kitakamian let his yellow gaze land against Florian’s honey-brown one last time before closing the door, now hidden deep within.
Despite being kicked out Florian couldn’t help but smile, already planning out in his mind what to make for tomorrow.
Both completely unaware of the summons a certain teacher was planning to make the very same day.