Three Man Value [IDV]

Those Three Words

The next day at dinner, Luca took a deep breath to calm himself before walking over to Victor.

"H-Hey, Victor," he said, which got a wave from the blond as a response. Victor didn't talk much around people he wasn't as close to, so it might not be the best idea to try to say it there, especially in front of everybody else.

"Can you come with me for a moment? I'd like to discuss... u-uh... I'd like to discuss something with you. Would that be alright?"

Victor nodded and pushed his seat in before following Luca into the hallway.

"Where do you think they're running off to?" Naib asked, watching the two disappear behind one of the walls.

"I could send her in to check it out," Eli said, motioning to be owl perched on his shoulder.

Aesop shook his head. "Don't. Just leave them to enjoy their privacy for once," he mumbled. He was the only one of the three who had noticed Victor holding a familiar letter behind his back.

Eli and Naib sighed in unison. "Fine."

Once the two were a fair distance away from the others, Luca stopped and turned to Victor.

He was about to bring himself to ask the blond, but he noticed Victor shyly looking down as he held out a letter to the prisoner.

"For me?" Luca asked. Victor gave a small nod, holding out the letter more to motion for Luca to take it.

Luca grabbed the letter and carefully opened it, reading over the contents and subconsciously muttering it to himself.

Dear Luca,

I haven't really been able to bring myself to talk about this with you before, but I felt like now would be a good time. Better to get it over with instead of just dragging it out longer and longer.

I understand you might not have the same thoughts about this, and that's fine. Though, I ask of you that you don't tell the others about this letters or its contents if you decline.

I've been thinking about telling you this for a while, but, here:

I like you.

Like, more than a friend, like you.

And, I was wondering if you looked at me in the same way.

Again, I completely understand if you don't. But, I'd like to at least still be friends with you if you don't, y'know?

Thanks for taking your time to read this.

-Victor

Luca reread the words on the page a few times to himself. Victor liked him? In that way?

He looked up at Victor, who was awkwardly smiling. Victor had a light shade of red on his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

Luca felt himself smile, his cheeks also beginning to heat up.

"Same," was the only thing Luca said.

"W-Wait, you really...?"

Luca nodded. "Yep. I was gonna ask you to come here so I could ask you myself, but your letter was... great. All I was gonna do was say a few words about it, and look at you, writing an entire love letter."

Victor grinned at that. "S-So, does that mean we're...?"

Luca shrugged. "Only if you wanna."

Victor's face lit up. He stepped towards Luca and pulled him into a hug, nodding. Neither of them had to finish the sentence to know what the other was referencing.

Luca hugged Victor back, smiling. The moment made him feel happier, and he knew it made Victor feel the same way, too.