It had been three hours now; three hours of endless downpour that left everything wet, slippery, and muddy. Both Leon and Mathias had been soaked through when they had reached Mathias' house a little over two hours ago, and the end of the rainstorm wasn't in sight. They had taken a bath and changed into dry clothes, but it was clear that whatever plans there had been for the day would have to be forgotten.

"Oh for God's sake," Leon mumbled as he stopped to stare outside for the seventh time in the last fifteen minutes. Or was it the eighth time the blond man had done it? Mathias was sure he had missed one time considering his friend was walking back and forth in front of the windows. Leon mumbled something inaudible and continued walking, and all Mathias could do was sigh.

They were in Mathias' study room. The room was warm, there was a nice fire in the fireplace, and there was some good wine available. All was well in Mathias' opinion; he could not have cared less about the rain anymore. Leon, however...

Of the two hours they had been in the house, Leon had spent the latter one looking very impatient. He had been relatively calm during the bath, but Mathias had noticed he was getting frustrated at the weather. However, there wasn't anything they could do about it. Mathias had managed to get Leon to play something for a while, but the younger man had given up eventually and had now spent at least half an hour pacing in front of the windows. The tactician had spent the whole time trying to read - trying being the key word.

"Sit down, Leon," he said. "Do you really think walking around is going to help you?"

"You're awfully calm considering the circumstances," Leon answered. He turned to look at his friend and shook his head. "It's going to get dark in an hour or two. We can't go out and practice today. We can't go meet Sir Glenn either unless we want to risk getting sick. Also, we're going to be behind schedule thanks to the rain messing up everything we were suppose to do today."

"I am aware of that," the dark-haired knight stated. He motioned to the chair next to his. "Now come sit and calm down." He was about to say something else but didn't get a chance.

"May I remind you your wife is stuck wherever that... Lady whatever-her-name-is lives?" Leon added, ignoring his friend's request.

"Lady Catherine Von Weiss. And I'm quite aware of that as well," Mathias replied. "However, I am not worried about it. With the storm... They know better and will not take unnecessary risks. Elizabetha will stay the night there and come home tomorrow. Anyway, I was about to say... I will re-schedule everything. We'll get back to work tomorrow, whether the rain stops or not."

Leon rolled his eyes at him, and Mathias sighed again. He put his book on the desk and looked outside, then at Leon. "Just stop that, please? We're not out on the battlefield."

"Maybe when that damn weather stops hating me," the blond man muttered and turned to stare out of the window again. As if to mock his words, the rain got even harder, and a loud rumble of thunder could be heard from somewhere far away. Leon glared at the sky, muttering something inaudible again.

A few minutes later lightning flashed through the sky, and the sound of thunder seemed to be coming closer. The younger knight cursed to himself, and Mathias had to wonder if he would be able to look calm and calculated until the end of this.

"Sit. Down." He demanded, folding his arms.

"What do you suggest I should do then?" Leon inquired. "Oh look, the road is flooded. No way we're going to get out of here now. Glenn's going to kill me."

"He's going to be as stuck as we are and surely won't mind the delay," Mathias stated.

"Fine, fine. I just would have liked to take care of that today," the blond replied, defeated. He then turned again and looked at the other knight. "You know, I hate that man. Whatever I say, he outtalks me. Thinks he's clever, obviously."

Mathias smiled. "Which is why I will take care of the talking. Now would you please come sit down?"

Leon ignored him and walked to the other window. He stared at the gray curtain of rain outside and shook his head. "If the road looks like that, I have to wonder what the fields look like..."

"It's only water," the dark-haired man commented calmly. "Besides, it has been sunny most of the week; I am sure the farmers actually appreciate the change in the weather. You really shouldn't worry about such things, Leon. You're a knight."

"Well then, let me curse the weather for the fact that I can't practice or go talk to people," the blond man said. He started walking back and forth again, and Mathias reminded himself that his friend was just being nervous because of not being able to do his duty. Now that he thought of it, it all made perfect sense. So typical of Leon... Still, it was only rain.

He spent a moment watching how Leon frustrated himself even more and then decided it was enough. "Leon."

"Yes?"

"You are going to sit down now," he said firmly. "We can talk about something if you wish to, or I can ask the servant to fetch you a prayer book so you can read that. But honestly, that constant pacing is going to drive both of us insane very soon unless you stop."

Leon stared at him for a moment. "...Uh, what? Insane?"

Mathias frowned inwardly but didn't show it. His eyes turned a little cold but Leon wasn't close enough to see them. "You heard me."

"I really don't see how this has anything to do with..." The blond knight started, but Mathias silenced him with one quick look that Leon was quite familiar with, although the older man rarely gave it to him. It was the 'you will listen to me now' look, and it always worked. Mathias could make army leaders listen to him by using it; making his best friend shut up was way too easy.

Mathias nodded towards the nearby chair, but Leon didn't move from where he was standing. Have it the hard way then, the tactician thought to himself and almost smiled.

"All right then. Now, you have two choices: You will either sit and calm down, or I will get up, drag you here, press you against this desk, and do things to you that I would rather not speak of."

Leon's eyes widened, but he managed to keep his cool. "Oh, really now. Like what?"

Mathias stood up slowly, careful to keep eye contact. He circled around the desk and crossed the room, stopping a few feet away from his friend. The whole situation was amusing; Leon was being somewhat childish, but he was playing along anyway just to see what his friend was up to. Mathias wished he could have smiled, but that would have ruined this. "Do you really wish to hear? As I said, I would rather not speak of them, but if you insist..."

"Let's hear it," Leon said with a grin. "What horrors await me should I choose not to do as you wish?"

"If you should choose the second option," Mathias started. The lightning flashed outside, almost making it look as if he had planned to use that as an effect to emphasize his words. "I will, as previously stated, press you against the desk. I will then take my belt and tie your hands with it so that you can't fight me. Should you try, I will use something to tie your legs as well. Apart, if I may add."

The expression on Leon's face turned into a combination of twisted amusement and shock. "...And?" He mumbled, unconsciously holding his breath.

"Then I will proceed to remove that tunic. Might have to rip it since you're tied, but that cannot be helped. Then your shoes and the rest of your clothes until you're naked." Mathias took a short pause and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. His expression remained impassive. "And then I will touch you everywhere. It will be a very slow, pleasant touch that will torture and tease your senses until you shudder under my hands. And I will continue until your whole body burns, so much that you will beg me to stop. But you won't want me to stop touching you; on the contrary, you will beg me to stop the torture and give you what you need."

Another pause, and then he added, "And then... I will take you. Against the desk, and make it so that you lose consciousness once I'm done with you." Resisting the urge to smirk, he moved his hand and ran his fingers down the younger man's neck. Then he stepped back to admire the other man's reaction.

Leon stared at him for a long while. For whatever reason, when he was finally able to say anything, the first thing that came out of his mouth was, "In here?"

Mathias gave in and laughed. "Why, yes."

"...Mathias...?" Leon said quietly. He looked at the other man for another fleeting moment before he turned away. His cheeks felt hot. "Are you... feeling well?"

"Perfectly fine, my friend. So, which is it going to be?" The tactician gave the other knight a warm smile. Although Leon had turned away the window in front of him reflected them both, and Mathias had to admit the fact that Leon was blushing amused him to no end.

Leon didn't reply. He gazed at the rain outside and tried to think of a good answer. He knew he had no chance of beating Mathias in this kind of a game, but he wasn't willing to go down without a fight. There was a small problem though; should he try something, Mathias might actually go on with it just to prove him how useless trying anything was. Of course, what the older man had spoken of was a sin... And Leon was absolutely mortified by the fact that he not only had listened to the whole thing, but he was still here and not sitting in the chair Mathias had offered him for God only knew how many times during the last hour.

"...You sure you're feeling fine?" He asked in a low voice, trying to buy time.

"Oh yes," the dark-haired knight replied. "So, am I to believe you chose the second option?"

Leon opened his mouth to voice an answer but found himself unable to say anything. He sighed and closed his eyes. He was about to turn and tell Mathias to stop playing stupid games, but some childish part of him told him to be stubborn, and he stopped. He didn't have anything to lose, now did he? Besides, Mathias wouldn't really do that... Not here.

Well then, he thought. Two can play this game, Mathias. A half-smile rose on his face, and he remained by the window.

"Sometimes your stubbornness amazes me, Leon," the tactician commented. He turned and walked away. Leon heard him stop but didn't look at him; he would wait until Mathias would sit down and start reading again, and then go sit down himself. What he would do next didn't really matter anymore. Maybe Mathias was right, and standing here was useless. Sitting down and reading something might help him calm down...

"But," Mathias continued. "It is also the quality that makes you the best fighter I have ever seen. You win, Leon. I never thought you would actually go for that option, but ah well... Giving up is just not your style, now is it, my friend?"

Leon grinned and was about to say something, but he froze when he heard the sound of the door being locked. He spun around just to see as Mathias turned to face him, smiled and said, "I can only hope I will not disappoint you."

The tactician walked back to where the blond man was standing, and Leon silently vowed to himself that he would never, ever try outsmarting Mathias again.

Author's notes:

This was kind of written for the challenge thing. Kind of, since I gave the challenge topic (which was obviously, "Rain") I didn't take part in the poll thing.

Um, the ending wasn't actually supposed to be like that. It was supposed to be tamer, but my sister told me to go for it and I guess the opportunity was just too good to be passed.

- Elmina (July, 2005)