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If anyone else had asked him to come into the courtyard in the middle of the night, Yuri would have declined. However, since it was Ashe, of course he agreed. What was he going to do? Kill him with kindness?
When everyone turned in for the night, Yuri stealthily dodged the patrolling knights to reach the center of the hedge maze. There wasn't a need to avoid detection, but he assumed Ashe wanted to keep this discreet. Otherwise he would have asked him to meet somewhere else in the daylight.
After reaching the center of the garden unnoticed, he found Ashe pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. Whatever was on his mind seemed to be pretty intense.
"Everything okay there, friend?" Yuri asked as he approached the other.
Ashe leapt like a frightened cat, but composed himself when he realized it was only Yuri. "You scared me!"
"Hey, you invited me here in the middle of the night. You don't exactly have the grounds to be upset."
Ashe sighed, shoulders falling. "You're right. I'm sorry."
"No need," he said, waving his hand. "So what does a guy like you want from me this late at night?"
"Okay, I'm just going to say it." Ashe took a deep breath, and straightened his back. "I want to say this now in case I don't ever get the chance to do so." He took another breath. "I like you."
"I, mean, yeah. I like you too. I like everyone we're alongside with."
Ashe shook his head, frustrated. "No, as in I like you in a different way."
All of this went over Yuri's head. What was Ashe trying to say? "I get that? You and I grew up together. Of course you feel a little different about me compared to everyone else you just met five years ago during our school, well, your school years."
At this point, Ashe's freckled face was as red as a tomato. "I. Like. You. Romantically," Ashe enunciated.
Oh, that was clear.
So, little Ashe...No, calling him little wasn't correct anymore. He was taller now.
That wasn't important. Ashe declared his true feelings without any hesitation.
Before Yuri could respond, Ashe continued, "No, don't say anything. I needed to get that off my chest. Any day, you or I could die. I wanted to tell you the truth in case I don't make it out of this war alive. Look, I have no intention of dying, but war is hell."
Truthfully, Yuri felt the same about Ashe. Unlike Ashe, he lacked the courage to admit.
Once the war ended, the two were thankfully still alive. The celebration was the perfect opportunity to tell Ashe he felt the same, but the moment passed. He was too much of a coward to return his words. He already knew Ashe liked him romantically, so why couldn't he confess? There was no fear of being turned down.
In fact, he was used to this scenario. He's had countless people he never cared for confess their undying love, but now, someone he genuinely wanted was in their place. This was perfect. So, why couldn't he talk to Ashe? Why was he avoiding him at every turn?
When called into meetings where Ashe would be present, he found excuses to refrain from attending. He hated this. None of this was like him at all.
One day, the king called him into his office for a private meeting. Thinking nothing of it, Yuri attended only to be surprised to find Ashe here instead of Dimitri. Underestimating Ashe had been a mistake. While he wasn't that same little kid who stole to survive anymore, traces of him still lived inside Ashe. If he needed to be cunning, he very well could be.
"Yuri," Ashe started just as Yuri was about to turn and leave. "I'm sorry."
He paused. That wasn't at all what he expected to hear.
"Please allow me to make it up to you if I did something to upset you."
All this time, and Ashe thought he was the one who did something wrong? While he could use this to escape the situation, he couldn't do that to Ashe. Not when he was standing there, face wrought with concern and fear.
"No, Ashe. You haven't done anything wrong. You see...I remember what you said to me in the hedge maze while the war was still far from over."
"Oh." Ashe jumped slightly. "You never said anything after that, so I assumed you just forgot. If my confession is causing you trouble, I can take it ba—"
"No!" Yuri interrupted. "Look..." He ran a hand through his hair, wondering what to even say. "It isn't that I don't feel the same, I do. The problem is...I actually don't know what the problem is."
Ashe seemed concerned, but smiled as if trying to reassure Yuri. "Take all the time you need. I'll be here when you figure it out."
"Why?" Yuri said without thinking.
"Why what?"
If logic wouldn't get him anywhere, it was best to let instinct guide him. "Why are you willing to wait for me?"
"Because you understand me. You keep saying you don't get me, but out of everyone I've met, you're the person who knows me the best. I feel like I don't have to hide anything when I'm with you. I can talk about my past, and you won't judge me. You know what it's like to live in poverty and turn to any means necessary to survive."
How long had Ashe viewed him that way?
"We might not have the same ideals, but we want the same thing at the end of the day. You balance me, and I want to say that I keep you in check."
He was right. There were times when Ashe kept Yuri from going too far, and moments when Yuri reminded him that not everything could be solved with kindness and understanding. They needed each other.
Slowly, Yuri walked towards Ashe, and grabbed his hand. "Thank you, Ashe. I think that was just what I needed to hear." He laced their fingers together with a smile.
All this time, what he had been so afraid of was the idea of Ashe wanting him for his looks and nothing else. Ashe could have anyone, but he decided to fall in love with a charming scoundrel. Not for his looks, but for the person beneath the honeyed words and perfectly put together appearance.
"Does this mean that we're...together?"
"Yeah," Yuri said with a nod. "We're together so long as you want me."
"And so long as you want me?"
"I kind of want you forever, pretty bird, but let's wait for the vows a little after we see how we work as a couple."
"You know, I think you're more of a romantic compared to me," Ashe teased.
Or maybe a bit of Ashe had rubbed off on him. Either way, he was happy to finally have Ashe beside him. Any negativity he harbored had been cast out, and he was looking forward to seeing what new emotions would replace it.