Navigating New Natures

The morning after the kiss was, for Leo, a glorious, terrifying, and utterly bewildering affair. Sunlight, usually Leo’s cue to leap out of bed and attempt to not trip over his own feet on the way to the alchemical lab, felt like a spotlight of accusation. He lay there, a tangle of limbs and racing thoughts, the phantom sensation of Finn’s lips still tingling on his. He’d done it. They’d *done* it. And now what?

A loud, cheerful whistle from downstairs announced Finn’s presence, and Leo’s stomach did a frantic little jig. He squeezed his eyes shut, as if willing himself to disappear, or at least turn into a particularly uninteresting toad. *Just act normal,* he told himself, though the very concept of ‘normal’ had been thoroughly trampled by a rogue love potion and a brotherly kiss.

He finally dragged himself out of bed, his alchemist’s robes feeling less like a badge of honor and more like a disguise. He splashed cold water on his face, hoping to shock some semblance of composure into himself. He splashed a little too hard, and a good portion of it landed on his already frazzled hair, making him resemble a drowned rat who’d recently been electrocuted. Perfect.