Title: Magnetized
Fandom: Xenogears
Pairing: Sigurd/Ramsus
Rating: teen?
Length: ~350 words
Content notes: nowhere near explicit, but teenage character discovering sexual attraction.
Summary: He cranes his neck to try to catch another glimpse, and betrays himself, so Sigurd turns away sharply.


The boys of the Jugend class pile into the locker room after training, the popular First Class cadets loud and boisterous, mercifully ignoring the little cluster of outsiders for now. Everyone is exhausted, most of them triumphant, and for a moment Kahr thinks he can feel camaraderie as a tangible thing. He kicks off his boots, starts unbuttoning his heavy coat—it'll need bleach to get those grass stains out—and as he fights his way free of it he glances over at Sigurd without really meaning to. It's instinct, keeping track of allies. Even here.

Sigurd has his shirt already off, and something glitters on his chest as he moves. Kahr frowns, curious, because what was that? He cranes his neck to try to catch another glimpse, and betrays himself, so Sigurd turns away sharply.

It's too late; Kahr saw what it was that time. A polished ring, bright like steel against the copper of Sigurd's skin, pierced through the flesh of Sigurd's nipple. Kahr feels lightheaded, dry-mouthed. The rest of the world seems very quiet, and very far away.

Sigurd glances over his shoulder. "If you stare like that, you'll give someone ideas," he says, but not harshly.

Kahr turns his head to stare resolutely into the dark of his locker. "Sorry." He has only a vague sense of what that means, but Sigurd is usually trying to help him when he does something poorly socialized. He learns the correct behavior and they go on, and all is well.

But this time—it's such a little thing, that piece of steel, but just the sight of it has him reeling. He can't catch his breath, can't think about anything else. It's like he's magnetized. Why does Sigurd have something like that? Where did he get it? What does it feel like?

If he's not supposed to stare, then he's definitely not supposed to ask. Not here. But he will, when he can find a safe opportunity. When nobody else is around, not the rest of the class, not even Hyuga or Jessie. When neither of them have to risk anything. And Sigurd's shining secrets will be his.