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Luca didn't fall in love all at once.

It wasn't some big, dramatic moment where the heavens opened and angels sang.

It was little things.

Like how Damien always saved him a seat. Or how he remembered the exact way Luca liked his coffee. Or how he never let anyone talk down to him—not even as a joke.

It was the way Damien looked at him. Like he was the most interesting thing in the world.

It was the way he said Luca's name, like it was something precious.

And one day, Luca woke up and realized—

Oh. Oh no.

He was in love with Damien Callisto.

Luca never planned to confess.

He was content to suffer in silence, to pretend his heart didn't race whenever Damien flashed him that stupid smirk.

But then graduation came. And Damien announced—

"I'm leaving."

Luca's heart stopped. "What?"

"My family's moving," Damien said, for once not smiling. "It's... complicated."

Luca felt like he couldn't breathe. "So you're... just... going?"

Damien hesitated. Then, softly, he said, "I don't want to."

Luca clenched his fists. His chest felt tight. He hated this. He hated feeling like this.

So, without thinking, he grabbed Damien by the collar, pulled him down to his height and kissed him.

It was messy. And desperate. And nothing like how he fantasized a kiss with Damien would be But Damien froze.

When Luca pulled away, his face burned. "I—"

But before he could finish, Damien yanked him back, crashing their lips together again.

When they finally broke apart, Damien was grinning. "Took you long enough."

Luca groaned. "You knew?"

"Sweetheart, I knew before you did."

Luca wanted to die.

But then Damien cupped his face, serious for once. "I have to go," he admitted. "But I'm coming back for you."

Luca swallowed hard. "Promise?"

Damien kissed his forehead. "Promise."

____

Luca blinked, shaking himself from the memory.

Across the room, Damien was still muttering about banning kitchens, completely unaware that Luca had just spent the last ten minutes thinking back about the time he stole his heart.

Luca smiled softly.

"Damien?"

Damien looked up. "Yeah?"

Luca rolled his eyes and held out his arms. "Come here, idiot."

Damien wasted no time launching himself onto the couch, dramatically wrapping himself around Luca like an oversized cat.

Luca sighed, running a hand through Damien's hair. "You're ridiculous."

"And yet," Damien purred, nuzzling into his chest, "you love me."

Luca smiled.

Yeah. He really, really did.

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