It suddenly felt weird to be back in their acadamy quarters, Ramza noticed as they went to bed. There weren't many other cadets around the Academy grounds as the Hokuten had ordered most of the Gariland Military Academy to head to Igros and help guard the castle. That's where they - him and Delita, and a couple of classmates - should have been as well, but it just had happened that something else had come up, something that had pulled them away for a mission elsewhere. The mission was done and they needed to return to Igros, and the natural place for spending the night when passing through Gariland had been their old quarters.

Delita and he were the only ones in the room. As a Beoulve, Ramza had been offered his own room, not that he had wanted any special threatement. That's why he had asked them to at least assign Delita as his roommate, and he had been granted the request. Of course, with most of the cadets gone they would've been alone anyway, private room or not.

There was a sound a few feet from him, and Ramza turned to his side. "Delita?" He called in a quiet voice. He raised his head a little and looked at his friend, although the room was quite dark and he could only see Delita's outline against the wall.

"Aren't you sleeping, Ramza?" Delita asked. Ramza saw his friend get up a little and most likely turn to look at him.

He shook his head. "No. You can't sleep either, then? Kind of figures." He sat up and leaned over the nearby desk, then took a moment to search for a candle and matches. He managed to light it, and blinked a few times at the little flame that blinded him for a second. "I just... I wonder what they're going to say about this back home. Dycedarg's going to be angry, I know it. He might..." He paused for a moment and looked at his friend. "I don't know. I'm just trying to prepare myself for the fact that we might find ourselves guarding the castle for a long while. I'm sure Zalbag will take our side, but this is my eldest brother we're talking about, and..."

Delita sat up as well. "You shouldn't worry so much, Ramza," he said. "We were ordered to guard the castle in the first place, so it shouldn't be too bad if that's what we end up doing. Although," he admitted. "I'd like to do what I can to keep this kind of incidents with the Death Corps and whoever from happening again."

"You too, huh," Ramza replied, smiling a little. "I don't know why that thing with Marquis Elmdor happened, but..." He shook his head. "It also bothers me that they seem to have disagreements like that within the Death Corps, but I suppose that only means this won't continue much longer. I'm sure the Hokuten will end the problems soon. We just have to do our best, even if Dycedarg might not agree. It does make me feel a little better to know you don't mind if we get in trouble for this."

There was something in Delita's expression, but it passed too fast for Ramza to figure out what his friend was thinking. "We should sleep," Delita said. "It's late, and we need to head towards Igros first thing in the morning." He lay back down in his bed then looked at his friend. "It'll be fine. I'm sure of it."

Ramza looked thoughtful for a moment then nodded and put out the candle. The room went dark again and with his eyes somewhat accustomed to the flame, he sat there for a moment, blinking. It passed soon and he lay down as well, although the familiar feeling of being back in his old room was still there, and he felt odd. It was just like before, but somehow, not. "Uh, Delita?" he asked after moment, his voice somewhat uncertain.

"Hmm?" Delita shifted in his bed and turned to his side, looking at Ramza's direction again. "What is it?"

There was a long pause before Ramza continued. "Delita, I just, well. Can I sleep in your bed?" He asked, sounding a bit more cheerful. "You know, just like the old times. We used to do that a lot back in the day, didn't we?"

A moment passed in silence again, and in the darkness, Delita smiled. "Of course," he replied, with a more relaxed, familiar tone of voice which Ramza felt was more like his friend. Being around other cadets had made them try to keep up appearances, but alone, together, they were still the same old two of them as they had always been.

He got out of his bed and reached to the other side of the small room in the darkness. He found Delita's hand reaching his way and took it, then climbed into the other bed. Delita pulled the blanked over them both then wrapped his arms around his friend.

"Good night, Ramza," he whispered before leaning a little closer and pressing a kiss on Ramza's forehead. Ramza smiled to himself in the darkness and shifted a little to find a comfortable position in his friends arms.

Perhaps, just perhaps for at least on some level, they were still young. Ramza was sure that no matter what happened, Delita would be there for him.