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Kyo knows most of his friends aren’t quite human, despite their appearances. It’s something to be expected when attending a school centered around the mystic arts. Yet, he can’t help his surprise upon witnessing his friends’ very nonhuman traits. Seeing Maria bounce back after a nasty , bone-shattering tumble down the school’s steps had Kyo frozen at the top of the staircase as she casually dusted herself off, explaining in a cheerful lilt that her body is practically just cartilage. Walking in on Scarle’s and Aia’s shared room to ask about an upcoming project in Moonology subjected him to see Aia in her more…. biblically accurate angel form, with a face full of piercing eyes and wings for days.
Scarle had helped him with the work that day.
He had been wandering the halls of Iluna during a break he had between classes when he stumbled upon Aster. Or who he assumed was Aster. He remembers it being way too bright to investigate who it was, so he ended up turning around to walk elsewhere, blinking dots from his eyes for the rest of the day.
And now he finds himself sitting across Ren Zotto, alien prince from another planet, on his dorm bed, waiting anxiously for him to reveal his natural form. Ren had pulled him to the side earlier that day after Astronomy before he could file out of class with the rest of the students. With a displeased frown, he had heard the third year out as he excitedly asked him to come by his room in order to show him something. A part of him—a very large part—wanted to deny the request. He had homework to do, and there was that test coming up in Lunar Spellcasting. Kyo was still struggling with some of the spells, and he was getting anxious.
And maybe his response was obvious because Ren was staring down at him with wide, pleading eyes. His lips were already jutted out in an exaggerated pout. He was seconds away from whining. Kyo rolled his eyes and agreed, not wanting to listen to Ren pester him to the moon and back. He could be quite stubborn at times.
So here he is, trying not to be fidgety as he waits. He didn’t want Ren to feel like he was uncomfortable with the whole ordeal. But he admits he is uneasy. Like Aia, he always assumed Ren would have a bone-chilling alien form—something that could keep Kyo up at night if he thought too long about it. Yet, he didn’t want his friend to feel the need to keep himself hidden. Not when Kyo has already seen the rest of the group. He imagines the relief of shedding their humanoid skins is akin to undressing after a long day out, being free in your own home. He didn’t want to take that away.
Even as his fingernails bite into the meat of his palms from nerves, breath quickening.
“Ready?” Kyo nods, swallowing. “Okay.”
Kyo’s gaze is fixed. He watches as Ren gains another set of eyes right underneath his…normal pair? They’re a carbon copy, in sync with the pair above them. His eyes have lost the white of them—full of that electric blue with slitted black pupils. The structure of his face shifts. Kyo can’t put his finger on it—not until Ren is letting his jaw drop open and— wow, fuck, okay, that’s, uh, that’s a lot of sharp fucking teeth. A tongue that honestly looks too long to comfortably rest in his….his maw hangs down, thick and wet and slimming into a point at the end.
Kyo? There’s a rough, deep voice in his head. His eyes shift around in search of the source. He’s started craning his neck around when the voice laughs. Kyo, it’s me! He turns his attention back to Ren, who somehow manages to have an expression of mirth. Kyo feels his heart jackrabbit in his chest; he knows his eyes are impossibly wide; his clothes stick to him as he begins to sweat. As his mouth gapes open and close, Ren asks him, Are you alright? Is this too much? I can change back.
“Stop. Stop talking in my head for a second,” Kyo squeaks. He swallows in an effort to combat his cottonmouth, but it doesn’t do much. He gives himself another moment. “Put your fucking tongue back in your mouth, bro. You’re gonna get drool everywhere, like some dog.”
Sorry, Ren apologizes. Kyo watches as his tongue slides back in his mouth, resting there as normal and unassuming as any other tongue he’s seen. Shifting his weight to his knees, Kyo closes the distance between him and Ren, forcing the alien to uncross his legs in order for him to settle between them. He takes Ren’s face in his hands, tilting his head back as he peers into his mouth. Fingers hook themselves against flesh to gently pull and get a better look. Ren allows him to manhandle his way of getting his fill of his needle-sharp teeth, which he learns by pressing a finger against one, wiping away the pinprick of blood on Ren’s dark shirt afterwards.
“Why do you have so many teeth?” Kyo asks, resting his weight on the back of his calves. His hands don't leave Ren’s face. Neither comment on it.
It helped when going to other planets and causing terror, Ren confesses. Kyo frowns. And these! Ren lifts his hands to overtake Kyo’s line of sight, showcasing nails that could obviously tear into flesh and bulging veins. Claws , he thinks. Those things are fucking claws.
Yeah, Ren agrees in his head.
“Wait, you can hear my thoughts?” Kyo asks, taking his hands to grip at Ren’s wrists and force his claws out of sight. At Ren’s nod, he feels fear crawl through his veins. “Have you… always been able to hear them?” At Ren’s head shake, he feels his body deflate. “Oh, thank fuck.”
Why? What have you been thinking? Ren prods, four eyes wide and creepy . Have you been thinking about how much you actually like me? Huh, Kyo? Kyo scoffs. I bet you have a lot of sweet thoughts about me! Kyo settles him with a blank expression that does nothing to dim his excitement. He didn’t have sweet thoughts about the alien. They were usually irritated and frustrated and mocking— and embarrassing and snuck into his dreams late at night and had his body hot whenever he woke up.
No, not sweet at all.
“You wish I had sweet thoughts about you,” Kyo says. And before Ren could respond, he barrels forward, “So what’s up with the sudden telepathy, huh? Is the power, like, locked away or something when you’re not like this?”
I’ve just learned to keep it dormant, Ren explains. But because this is how I communicate like this, it’s inevitable that I can read thoughts.
Kyo hums. “….What else changes? ‘Cause I know damn well this isn’t it for your alien form,” he says. “Unless it is, then that’s kind of disappointing, not gonna lie.”
Really? You seemed kind of shocked at first, Ren teases.
“Of fucking course, dumbass!” Kyo defends. “Anyone would be with you getting another pair of eyes and more fucking teeth! And that long ass tongue!” He exclaims. “But that can’t be it. I mean, c’mon, bro, you’re a whole ass alien . Don’t you got…like a tail? Or something?”
I do, Ren admits casually. It’d be a hassle to show you, though, with my pants and all.
Before he can stop it, Kyo thinks, Just take them off, the fuck? And he realizes his mistake with the unnerving way Ren stares at him. His face is hot , taking on a blotchy, red hue. He couldn’t even escape into the dark recesses of his mind if he tried.
You want me to take my pants off that bad? Ren’s tone is cheeky, grating, annoying . Is it really just to see my tail, Kyo? Anything else you’d be interested in seeing?
“Shut the fuck up,” Kyo hisses, glowering. “Don’t put words in my mouth. And don’t say any more stupid shit,” he warns, knowing that Ren would’ve ran with his earlier statement. For the most part, Ren is usually on his best behavior around Kyo, often just being too close for comfort or being persistent for attention. But Kyo has seen him shamelessly flirt with others, spouting off innuendos without a second thought. Kyo isn’t willing to become a part of that group.
Ren’s laugh echoes in his head. Maybe I’ll show you more another time. This room is a bit too small for all that.
What the actual fuck. He gets bigger ?, Kyo thinks, and Ren is kind enough to only snort at the thought.
Thanks for this, Ren interrupts in as soft of a tone as he could manage. The shift in atmosphere has Kyo scrambling, not used to being genuine and vulnerable with him. Really.
“Yeah, of course, man,” Kyo word-vomits. He shrugs. “I really didn’t do much. I mean, I’m sure it was more nerve wracking to show me. But…But I’m glad you did. That, you know, you felt comfortable enough to…or whatever.”
There’s a…rumble in his head? Something that reminds him of purring? Did Ren have the vocal chords for that? Kyo isn’t able to roll around the thought in his head as his right cheek is suddenly wet and warm and—
“Did you just fucking lick me?” Kyo screeches. “Aw, nah, bruh. Hell no! Fuck no!” He uses his jacket sleeve to scrub away at his face. “What fucking possessed you to do that!? What happened in that—that alien brain of yours!?” He couldn’t scrub hard enough. “We’re close, but never that close. Oh my god.”
It was to show appreciation! Ren explains.
“You could’ve done literally anything else. Shit, you could’ve just said ‘thanks’ again. Not this shit ,” Kyo rants. “You better keep your mouth shut around me, or I might just pull your fucking tongue out ,” he threatens. He’s satisfied with the placating gesture Ren shows him, hands up and open in front of him.
They fall into silence.
“I really am thankful, though, Kyo,” Ren says from his own mouth. He must’ve shifted while Kyo was busy not looking at him in an effort to keep his hands to himself.
“The moment’s gone. I don’t wanna hear it anymore.”
“But Kyo— “
“Nope, nope. In fact, I’m actually going to leave. Yup, this was fun and all.” Kyo got to his feet, ignoring Ren’s protests and hands reaching for his person. He delivers a slap to one that gets too close. And as Ren cradles the hand to his chest with a pout, Kyo leaves his dorm with a slam of the door.
Alone with his thoughts, Kyo allows himself to slide down the door to the ground, burying his head in his knees.
He was definitely going to be up all night thinking about this.