Leon remembered the first time he had met Dylas.

It had been a pretty eventful day, given the fact that it was his second day back the real world. He had already become a favorite among the female townsfolk and travelers, much to the other males' dismay. He remembered sitting in his bedroom that Lin Fa had graciously loaned to him when he heard a knock on his door. He stood up from his chair, and opened it slowly, only to see Princess Frey staring up at him. "Good morning!" She gave him a huge grin as she greeted him. Leon leaned against the door frame. "Hello there. What brings the dearest Princess to my humble home?" He teased. Frey rolled her eyes at his comment. "I want to show you around, it is my duty as Princess, after all. Let's get breakfast at the restaurant." She explained.

Leon nodded. "Alright then, lead the way."

He remembered pushing open the doors to restaurant, his nose being greeted by the wonderful aroma of various foods. People walked around and talked amongst one another. Leon followed Frey up to the counter, and Leon noticed immediately that the waiter was rather peculiar. He had his back to them, but sported long, silvery blue hair that looked soft to the touch, and a tail much like Leon's, as well as black animal ears. Leon knew that this was one of the other Guardians that Venti had talked about. When he turned around to greet them, Leon was taken aback by his dull persona. He put on a face of disinterest. Frey had excused herself and gone off to talk with Forte for a moment, leaving them two together. "Hello, you must be someone I haven't met here yet. What's your name?" Leon asked with a flick of his fan.

Dylas looked at him briefly, but his main focus had been on Frey. "Oh, um...what's it to you?" He grumbled. Leon stared at him intently. "Well now, no need for the bitterness then." He said, amusedly, before continuing, "My name is Leon. Nice to meet you."


Leon could remember vividly when Dylas got rejected.

He had been sitting at one of the benches in the Town Square, reading some notes he had to translate while enjoying the spring breeze that gently tickled his skin. He heard hushed voices from the front of the castle. He didn't mean to eavesdrop, but it was impossible not to with how blatant Frey was being. Dylas had poured his heart out to Frey. It had been months since Leon had met Dylas, but it was still very unlike him. Leon glanced over as he had been confessing, and a small grin of admiration tugged at the corners of his lips at Dylas gathering the courage to be honest and true to his feelings with her.

It was Frey rejecting him that caught Leon by surprise.

"I'm sorry Dylas, I really am. I'm sorry if you got the wrong idea..." Leon scoffed at that, thinking about the various times the two had been seen together at festivals. She was always very close to him, too. It was no wonder why he had gotten the wrong idea. Dylas' face had gone paler that it already was. Ignoring her pleas for him to come back, Dylas stormed away to the gates of Selphia, his face flushed red with despair and embarrassment. Frey simply watched him as he left, and that's when she noticed Leon was there. He pretended to have been reading the scripts the entire time, before looking up at her. They had a silent conversation in which Leon was giving the oblivious Princess a piece of his mind. At least that's what went on in Leon's head.


Leon remembered the first time he had seen Dylas cry.

It had been weeks since he had been rejected. Frey had recently started dating Vishnal, and it was the main gossip of the town. Everyone was at Dragon Lake for an impromptu fishing day when Kiel had brought it up to Illuminata. They talked about it in hushed voices, but sat next to Dylas. Leon had been standing nearby teasing Forte and Clorica when he heard. He gazed at Dylas, and noticed that he was clutching his fishing rod with shaky hands. In any other situation, Leon would've given Dylas a hard time for that. Instead, he walked up to the other man and tapped his shoulder. "I have another fishing spot you might want to see." Leon lied, giving him a look. Dylas looked up at him, his eyes red and welling with tears that he refused to let fall. "Come on. Let's go." Leon insisted. In reply, Dylas stood up silently and grabbed his fishing stuff, trailing after Leon as they walked away from the lake. They made their way through Yokmir Forest, and Dylas wasn't sure where Leon was taking him. "Where are we going?" He asked, his voice sounding strained due to the crying he was trying to restrict. Leon didn't answer, and they soon reached their destination, being the Water Ruins.

They sat together on a stone ledge, and Dylas cast his line out. Silence lingered between them, but that was interrupted soon with Dylas' tears. "God, this is so gross. I probably look pathetic." He wiped his eyes with his sleeve. To that, Leon shrugged. "No, she did you pretty dirty. She may be a Princess but that doesn't change the fact that she led you on." Leon said. Dylas coughed as he cried, and his shoulders quivered. "I'm so angry at her." He muttered.

Leon put a consoling hand on his shoulder. "You have every right to be."


Leon remembered the first time he saw Dylas genuinely smile.

It was Beach Day, and everyone was on the beach hanging out together. People were in the water splashing each other, and others were on the beach tanning or chatting. Dylas, in particular, decided that he was going to swim. He padded out into the water, when all of a sudden he was struck in the face with icy water. He turned to see who it was and saw Leon smirking, and Doug cackling to his heart's content. Dylas growled and charged after Doug, tackling him and dunking the dwarf into the water. Laughter erupted from Leon, knowing that it was he who had splashed Dylas, and not the poor redhead. "It wasn't me you nag! It was Leon, I swear!" Doug said, trying to tackle and dunk him back. Dylas met Leon's eyes for a moment, but for Leon everything seemed to move in slow motion and last an eternity. Dylas' silvery hair flew in damp wisps around him, and some smaller strands clung to his face. His golden irises sparkled with mirth, and his soft, pink lips were upturned in a bright smile.

Leon gasped quietly, feeling a unique tug in his heart. It was a very rare feeling to him, and he had only experienced it a few times in his life.

That surprised expression turned into an amused one as Dylas crashed into the water.


Leon remembered the first time he realized that he loved Dylas, painfully so.

Him and Dylas spent nearly every evening together out of habit. They had become close friends through the summer and fall season, and wintertime was approaching in Selphia. Sometimes, they would simply spend time together in silence. Today was one of those days. They had just gotten done clearing some monsters that were roaming around the gates of Selphia when a snowstorm came in. They had gotten soaked to the bone and caked in snow. In reward for their work, Lin Fa kindly gave them both a free bath. The temperature of the bath was high, and Leon sighed in content as he relaxed into the hot water. Him and Dylas both sat on their respective sides, but through the steam Leon couldn't help but peek as Dylas disrobed, revealing his lean build, and pale chest. His torso was littered with faint scars, none nearly as prominent as the one on his face. Still, Leon found himself enraptured by the man, for some reason. He was at war with himself; one side telling him to give in to his heart, and the other clinging onto promises of the past that kept him bound to suffer. Still, he watched as Dylas' slender legs dipped into the steaming bath. The man seemed to visibly relax, and let go of the hardened expression he always seemed to wear.

Dylas' cheeks and neck flushed in the heat, and Leon found himself daydreaming about things he probably shouldn't have. Not only that, but their time together in the past few months. They had grown closer and adapted to each other's quirks. At first, Leon felt like it was just an amazing yet unlikely friendship. In that moment, staring at Dylas just being himself and letting go, Leon knew that he had fallen in love.

It made his heart ache and jump for joy at the same time.


Leon remembered the first time they had confessed to each other.

It had been late into the night, and both men sat at the Observatory. It was also Christmas, but most of the townsfolk had retired much earlier in the night. Dylas sat there with his the back of his head leaning against the Observatory wall. Leon sat next to him, looking up at the dark sky that was littered with stars. "Do you ever feel...lonely?" Dylas asked all of a sudden, his voice being very timid. Leon turned to face him. "What do you mean?" He asked. Dylas didn't meet his eyes, and instead focused on staring out at the deep, dark ocean. "I mean, do you ever get that same feeling you had when you became a Guardian? Just the emptiness, I guess?" He said tentatively. Leon nodded, and looked away momentarily. "I have a hunch that feeling is very common among people who've done what we did." Leon replied smoothly.

"I...I-" Dylas trailed off, and Leon noticed that he was very fidgety. Leon sported his classic grin, and his tail and ears began flicking around with curiousity and excitement. "Although," Leon continued to add on to what he was saying earlier, "This world gets a little less lonely when you have someone to share it with." That time, Dylas looked up at him. Golden eyes met aquamarine. "I have a lot of...feelings I don't understand." Leon noticed that Dylas had moved closer, even if it was just a mere centimeter. "Well, tell me about them. Maybe I can help." Leon replied, cautiously inching closer. Dylas paused when he said that, a nervous blush spreading across his cheeks. "I'm not even sure if I'm allowed to have these feelings."

"The heart wants what it wants."

Dylas was able to feel Leon's warm breath against his lips, which felt pleasant against the cool night air. It was a silent invitation, and one that Dylas accepted carefully. He leaned in, closing the gap between them. The kisses started out small and sweet, and Leon basked in the wondrous feeling of every single one. Then they grew heavy, and Leon's hands found their way to the back of Dylas' neck and his waist, tugging him closer. Dylas complied and ran his fingers through Leon's hair. They parted after awhile of this, both breathless. "I...I love you." Dylas said in a hushed voice. Leon kissed the corner of his lips in a silent agreement, knowing that the words he wanted to say were caught in his throat and locked away with a key from the past.


Leon remembered their first date.

They had decided to simply eat lunch together at the restaurant, which was perfectly fine with both of them. The sat across from each other at the table for four, and Dylas couldn't meet Leon's eyes the entire time, considering Leon was in a rather feisty mood that day. Porcoline came up to them, spinning around with their plates of food in hand. "Ta-da! Enjoy your lunch!" He practically giggled as he walked away. Dylas had a plate of cherry salmon sashimi, and Leon had grilled char. He gave Dylas a small smile before they both began eating.

A few minutes later, Leon held out a piece of the fish on his fork for Dylas to try. "Here, try this." He said pointedly. In return, Dylas gave him an incredulous look. "You can't be serious!" He replied, his cheeks fuming. Leon laughed. "Come on, just do it."

They both were too lost in the moment to see that they were getting stares of wonder, but Leon didn't care. Neither did Dylas.


Leon remembered telling Dylas about Maria.

It happened the same day that Frey and Vishnal got married, and it was the middle of the spring season. There was a huge celebration in town, and it had to be one of the biggest weddings that both Leon and Dylas had ever seen. As Frey and Vishnal made their way around town, Dylas swallowed thickly. "What am I even supposed to say to her?" He asked Leon, who stood next to him. Leon sighed. "Just give them a short congratulations, and send them on their way. It's not that hard." Dylas frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. Leon knew that he was being rather curt with Dylas today, but he had so many things on his mind.

Later that evening, Leon sat in his room with his head in his hands. A messy array of papers sat in front of him, and he couldn't bring himself to read them no matter how hard he tried. His thoughts of despair were interrupted when someone flung open the door. Dylas came in with a huff, shutting it behind him. "I don't know what your problem is today," He sat on the bed, "But I think an explanation is due."

Leon turned around, giving him a death glare. "Now's not a good time, Dylas." To that, Dylas stood up and approached him. He placed his palm flat on the desk, balancing his weight on it. "You know that you can share things with me, right?" Dylas felt like he was being shut out. It left him with a dreadful pit in his stomach. Leon faced him. "I'm sure you've heard of the story that Kiel found." He started.

"Yeah, what about it?"

Leon spent the rest of the night explaining what this story was, and what he had read so far. Dylas listened intently, astounded by how this story could've been found now, and the strategy behind it. He also explained to Dylas why he couldn't convince himself to read the last paper. His eyes began to water, and Dylas wrapped his arms around him. "We'll read it together then?" He said, although it sounded more like a question. Leon nodded slowly, and through that last paper, Leon found the answer he had been missing. Maria was able to find happiness.

He looked to Dylas and smiled. So could he.


Leon remembered Dylas proposing.

It was in the middle of the fall, and it had been nearly three years since they first met. They decided to spend the day at Autumn Lake beneath the overgrown trees that hung low, providing shade and a makeshift getaway. They laid in the grass, Leon's arm tucked beneath Dylas' head. Dylas had his arm wrapped around Leon's torso, and closed his eyes as Leon's scent filled his senses. The smell of incense had become comforting to Dylas. Leon stared up at the sky through the autumn branches, and he felt himself becoming drowsy. He felt the Dylas' steady breathing against his side, and that alone was a comforting reminder to him that all of this was real. He shifted to face towards Dylas. The other man looked back at him through curious golden eyes.

"What is it?" Dylas asked, moving his head so Leon could bring his arm back. Dylas propped himself up on his elbow, is cheek resting on his fist. Leon took note of the slight flush of his pale cheeks and nose, probably due to the chilled air. He looked down to Dylas' lips; subtly pink and slightly parted as he breathed. His eyes then trailed down to Dylas' jaw, his collarbones, and the way his adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. Leon placed a hand on Dylas' waist. "Nothing." He muttered under his breath as he shuffled closer to the other male. Dylas blushed, his arm wrapping around Leon once again. He ducked down for a kiss, and Leon gave a hum of approval.

Dylas meant for it to be a small kiss, but Leon quickly put his hand on the back of his head, holding him there. The tone of the kisses shifted, and Dylas' hand planted on the ground on the other side of Leon as they both shifted. Dylas swung his leg over so that he was above Leon, and his blush spread when they parted, only to see Leon staring up at him through half-lidded eyes. He tugged Dylas' collar down, pulling him in for more. His tongue grazed Dylas' bottom lip, and he gasped lightly, allowing Leon easy entry. Leon grabbed Dylas' hips, drawing his body down against his. Dylas' eyes widened at the sudden friction, and he quickly pulled away from Leon. "Wait!" He said, his breath staggered, "I was going to ask you something."

Leon gave him a look that was somewhat of a pout. "What is it, darling?" He asked, his pout turned into a mischievous grin as he shifted his hips upwards, eliciting a surprised gasp from Dylas at the sudden feeling of arousal pooling in the pit of his stomach. "Mm...Hey! Wait! Stop distracting me!" He growled, the aggression only fueling Leon's arousal. The man beneath him laughed. "Alright alright, what is it you wanted to say?"

Leon noticed that Dylas was a bit shaky, but what happened next caught him off guard. Dylas bent over slowly and his lips gently brushed against Leon's. It sent flutters up Leon's spine. "M-...Marry me." Dylas whispered finally. He sat up, and became a flushed mess at the sight of Leon's surprise. "I mean, will you? I don't even know if we're allowed to, but I don't care." He pulled a ring from his jacket pocket, and held Leon's hand in his own. Leon finally gathered the breath to speak.

"Yes."

A happy, breathless laugh slipped past Dylas' lips as he slid the ring onto Leon's finger, kissing his knuckles. Leon tugged him town again, and this time their hands and lips met ferociously. It was a flurry of teeth and tongue. Leon worked on getting Dylas' jacket and shirt off, and he instantly melted against his lover's touch.

Leon smiled fondly at that memory, knowing that neither of them would ever kiss and tell as to what happened after that. If Leon were to ever bring it up, it would spur a bright blush and exasperated nonsense from Dylas.


Leon smiled to himself as he recalled all of the memories leading up to this moment, his husband in bed next to him. The other man was asleep, and Leon gently brushed stray silvery hairs out of his face. It was their anniversary, and they had been married one year now. Their relationship had sparked controversy in the town, but in the end it had all been worth it.

Leon hadn't ever expected that this was what his life would turn out to be. He would've never guessed that the grumpy man he met behind the counter would someday be his significant other. Leon's smile widened and he felt tears prick the corners of his eyes. He kissed Dylas' lips quickly, and that's when Dylas cracked his eyes open. "What're you doing?"

"Happy anniversary, love."

"Leon...it's 3 am. Go back to bed."

A lighthearted chuckle escaped Leon and he cuddled up to Dylas. "Happy anniversary..." Dylas grumbled, burying his face in Leon's messy hair.

In that moment, Leon knew that he had found the happiness that people spent their entire lives search for, and it was right in his arms.