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It's spring. Early spring. The air was still cold, but just a bit warmer. The trees and flowers come to life with new buds and leaves painting the once gloomy greys of winter with bright colors. This was also Ren Zotto's first spring. He might be a third year, but he's still new to the season's earth has and human civilization.
Currently, Ren was curious of what humans called a mall. The mall as he understood was a large building housing all kinds of shops. It seemed like a fun place to go to and so with a companion he set out to find out more about the mall.
Ren's tall stature towered over the people they bypassed in the mall. He was also fit, dressed in black. Tall and fit. Not a lot had this qualities and black was a sexy color. A few would glance in his way, but soon enough turn away on meeting a pair of golden eyes next to the tall man.
"Oh! Wow, look Kyo!" Ren had his attention on the glass wall of the elevator. They were headed down to the ground floor and Ren's eyes sparkled at the stalls by the atrium of the mall. "Can we go there next?"
By a head shorter next to Ren was a loud colored young man, bright blue haired with black and pink streaks and his yellow jacket contrasted with the black dress shirt of the alien. This was Kyo Kaneko, his companion that the institute of Iluna trusts to help Ren learn about humans. He has his arm on the railing before the glass wall looking down as well. He was scowling at the thought of walking any further. The alien next to him had too much energy.
"Sure, whatever." Kyo shrugged.
The elevator descended and with each floor they passed the leg space became smaller and Kyo had to move to prevent himself from getting squished. Ren and Kyo were at the back corner of the elevator close to the glass window. It was only three floors left and they can get off.
Ren stood sideways his back to the metal surface. The top of Kyo's head was just in front of him and at this close proximity there was a citrus scent coming from his hair. It was a nice scent.
Kyo's startled by the sudden weight on his head and he's lifting his chin upwards for his. gold eyes to meet with an electric blue pair. One of them blinked. Amusement. Annoyance. Ren grinned. Kyo scowled.
"I am not a head rest," Kyo said.
"What's a head rest?" Ren said. He knows what a head is, but a head rest? It's the first he heard of it.
"It's not the top of my head," Kyo turned on his heel dislodging his head away from the alien.
"Okay, but what is a head rest?" Ren still wanted to find out. Kyo although annoyed answered his question. He understood what a head rest is, but it didn't stop him from placing his head on Kyo's when had the chance. He rather liked the scent of his hair and it's a secret he'd like to keep to himself.
Summer is a season usually associated with travelling to the beach or to the mountains and to be closer to nature. But just because it was that time of the year didn't mean squat to the institute of Iluna. Iluna's an institute for the supernatural and other worldly beings. They don't follow human customs, but they do allow those attending Iluna access to earth. Iluna didn't have summer break, and while they weren't required to attend any lectures they had an assignment to accomplish specified to them.
"It's so hot," Kyo groaned at the a blow of warm air from the window hitting his face. He's sitting by their small dining table near the balcony of their dorm unit and the strumming of a guitar stopped. All the windows were open and no, it did nothing to help with the heat they were experiencing. He needed to sleep, so he can stay awake later that evening to early morning, but the weather was not cooperating with him.
"Maybe a drink of water can help?" Ren suggested looking towards Kyo from his spot by the couch with his acoustic guitar in hand.
Kyo with strands of his hair plastering to his face and nape of his neck glowered at the sight of the alien across the room. Ren was clearly unbothered by the heat wave they were experiencing that day. Was the alien prince a cold-blooded creature? Of course, he would be. He did destroy planets before coming to earth.
"It won't," Kyo huffed, but he does stand up from his seat to drag himself to the bathroom to wash off the sweat covering his body.
Ren continued to strum his guitar trying to string together a note here and there. Ren had just found a line of notes he liked and repeating them when he felt a dip on the couch. He paused to look at Kyo. He had his hair tied into a ponytail with only a sleeveless light yellow top and blue shorts on him.
"Why is it colder here?" Kyo said eyebrows knitted together and gold eyes falling on him.
"It doesn't feel any different to me?" Ren blinked. Sure it was slightly warmer than spring, but it wasn't that bad to him like how Kyo makes it to be.
Kyo hummed thoughtfully, and stayed on the couch with Ren. Ren continued with strumming his guitar up until he heard a soft snore next to him. He glanced over to Kyo, who has his head resting on the back rest with his mouth slightly open. The soft snores from Kyo has Ren pausing with playing his guitar and then he's carrying his guitar with him back to his room letting Kyo sleep.
It happens a few times for the next few days when the heat was unbearable Kyo would be sitting close to Ren and he would fall asleep. One afternoon, Ren was off sleeping in his room and Kyo failed to get some sleep. The heat was unbearable. He stepped out of his room relocating on the couch, but it was still too hot.
Kyo's eyes fell on Ren's door. He huffed and laid back down. No, he was not going to go to the alien.
Ren's startled awake by a poke to his side. He's blinking his eyes open to focus on Kyo next to his bed.
"Kyo?" Ren said half-asleep, "What are you doing here?"
Kyo was scowling, and his eyes move sideways. His lips part and Ren's awake all of a sudden, "You, what?"
"You heard me," Kyo said through tight lips. "So?"
"Ah," Ren blinked. Yeah, he did hear him, but why? He stared at Kyo wanting to ask, but decided otherwise. He'll ask at a different time. "Yeah, sure."
Ren scoots over toward the wall facing towards the door while Kyo lied down facing away from him.
"You might fall off."
"I won't," Kyo said.
Ren hummed in response. They stayed in the same position with Ren watching Kyo's tense back. Eventually, Kyo relaxed and he can hear his soft snores. He doesn't move, but Kyo does turn around moving closer to him.
The bed was small and they was barely any space to move around freely. Kyo's head was under Ren's chin and Kyo can be clingy in his sleep with his arm wrapping around Ren's hips. Ren can already foresee the incoming punch to his face or his gut, but for now he'll take in the scent of citrus and the warmth Kyo offered. Having Kyo in his arms was nice, like he perfectly fit there.
Kyo was with Aia in the hallway. They were just coming from one of their shared lectures when there's a weight on Kyo's head again. He doesn’t look. There’s only one person who always did this. The same weight that he called as a Rizotto. The alien had done this a few times by now, but this time the aliens weight was making him fall over.
"What the—Ren?!" Kyo planted his feet to the ground and he felt Ren's head fall to his shoulder. He turned his head his cheek touching the others cheek and he was cold? Maybe even colder.
"Kyo," Ren whimpered his arms wrapping around his smaller form. Kyo jumped at the hug and the chill radiating from the alien, "It's cold. I don't like this feeling."
Kyo stood still. He could feel Ren's body shaking while the alien clung to him. Ren even nuzzled his head onto Kyo's shoulder his soft hair tickling him.
"Ren!" Kyo huffed grabbing his arms around him and trying to pull them off, but it was like trying to remove an iron belt. "Ren, let go. Right now," he demanded.
"No," Ren pulled Kyo closer to him. "Your warm."
"So, ah," Aia said gaining Kyo's attention once more. She had an indulgent smile on her lips, "Do you two need any help while I'm still here?"
Kyo blinked up at Aia. He had completely forgotten she was there because of the alien latched onto him and sucking the warmth from his body.
"Yeah? Can you help me carry this giant lump of an alien to our dorm?" Kyo said. He didn't want to drag Ren back to their dorm. He's a head taller than him! He's slender than Ren too!
Aia hummed eyes falling on Ren's arms. She took two steps forward, and reached out only to pause with but a pinky of a distance. Her eyes weren't on Ren's arms, but on the alien himself.
"Know what, how about I just use the glass marble Scarle gave me to get us to the dorms faster?" Aia retracted her arms and pulled out a yellow marble from her pocket. She closed her hand around it and shut her eyes before she's dropping the marble down to the ground and smashing it under her shoe.
There's a fog of yellow that wrapped around them like a snake and when the fog disperse they were in front of Kyo's and Ren's dorm unit.
"Well, that's unfair. Why doesn't Scarle give us one like that too?!" Kyo said.
"You'll have to do her a favor to get one," Aia smirked before she's turning on her heel. She's waving her hand as she leaves, "Later, you two."
They enter the dorm unit with Ren still leeching onto Kyo's warmth, and Ren was just moving along with Kyo without any protests. Kyo gave up trying to get Ren to let go. The alien was adamant to keep Kyo in this.. this hug.
"Ren were in your room already. Let go. Just use your bedsheets to warm up."
"Can you lie down with me?"
"Ren, I am not your personal heater." Kyo was planting his foot down on this.
"Please?" Ren pleaded. His voice was softer add to that he sounded weak too. It didn't sound like the usual Ren and it reminded him of a time before Iluna.
Kyo just knew he was going to regret this. It was technically like handing ammo to an enemy. An enemy that has helped him sleep during the summer season and had been nothing, but just overly energetic and jolly about everything there was to learn about humans. The alien was just filled with so much life than him. He would never admit it, but he kind of admired that about Ren and made life seem brighter than it does.
"Fine," Kyo admitted defeat to the alien.
They lied down with Ren drawing Kyo closer to his chest. He took in the scent of citrus. The legs tangled with his and the warmth coming off from Kyo.
"Kyo?"
"What now?" Kyo drawled ignoring the arms around him.
Ren chuckled, finding the fast pace of his own heart addicting whenever he had Kyo close.
"You're presence is addicting."
"What the hell does that mean?" Kyo said later on, but the weight of sleep already pulled the alien down.
Kyo heard the soft snores behind him and he sat up. He pulled his legs closer to himself and balanced his head on his knee. He looked down at Ren's peaceful sleeping face. If a frown would form between his eyebrows he would reach out to smooth the wrinkle out.
Of course, Kyo caught himself and whispered while staring at the alien next to him, "What am I doing?"
It was an off day for them from their lectures. It seemed like a warm day from the inside with the sun bright out, but grey clouds would pass by above. Ren tried to open the window earlier, but at the slight blow of wind he pulled it shut. It was too cold for his liking.
He's on the couch bundled up with a blanket while wearing his dark green hoodie with this cute graphic creature called 'Nessie'. His mug of cocoa had cooled down all the while he wrote down lines on the page of his songwriting notebook.
The door to his and Kyo's dorm opens with Kyo entering and carrying a cloth bag.
"Oh, Kyo, welcome back," Ren said lowering the pencil he was holding. He didn't know Kyo was out. He thought his friend slept-in like the other days, but these days Kyo's been.. just less snarky and snappy with him. "What's that you got there?'"
Kyo walked over and pulled out a box from inside to dump it onto his lap. Ren held the box up to his eye level, but he couldn't tell what they are and so like usual he would lift his gaze to Kyo in question.
"Take one pack out from it."
Ren opened the box and pulled out a pack like instructed.
"Shake it."
Ren shook the pack and it's seconds later he's dropping the pack to the floor. "What is that? It's hot all of a sudden!"
"It's a hot pack." Kyo explained picking the pack back up and placing it on the coffee table, "Humans use it during the winter to keep our hands warm. Use it and stop using me as your personal heater."
Kyo doesn't stay in their lounge area and goes back in his room without another word. Ren picked up the hot pack on the table and hold it between his hands. The hot pack was warmer than when he hugs Kyo, but it was like he lost something on gaining it.
It's during lunch and they were all headed to the dining area. Ren's with Scarle and they meet Aia on the way. They're just in the hallway when Ren caught sight of Aster in the crowd and next to him was someone with light blue hair a few feet ahead of them.
Ren on impulse was about to call out to him, but then stopped short.
"Ren?" Scarle said right before her nose met Ren's back, "What is it?"
She glanced around the alien searching for what he was looking at. Her eyes fall on Kyo Kaneko, the moon's child, it was a title the instructors in the institute called him as.
"Oh!" Scarle glanced up at Ren waiting to see the sparkle in his eyes and the following goofy smile he had on whenever he saw Kyo, but she was met with a frown and downcast eyes. She looked between Ren and Kyo. "Did you get into a fight with Kyo?"
Ren's shoulders slumped down and an empty laugh flit out of him, "I don't know. We still talk, but.. Kyo.." Ren shrugged. There was no words he could say when he had no clue what was happening.
"Did you ask him?" Aia said.
"I did. He said there's nothing, but.." Ren could only sigh. "I miss Kyo."
"How about telling him that?" Scarle said slapping him on the back making Ren jump away.
"But this is Kyo?" Aia held her chin, "He's.. peculiar isn't he? He's unreserved with his words with us, but with others he's pretty much tame. He would tell any of us if we crossed the line."
"Then, what's wrong?" Scarle looked to Ren mirroring his expression.
"Only way to find out is for Ren to talk it out with Kyo," Aia said patting him on the arm and smiling at him. "Just be honest and Kyo will do the same."
Be honest. Ren has been nothing, but honest. Maybe not completely honest with the few things, but this time he will be. He missed Kyo too much.
It's an hour before Kyo goes out of the dorm to meet with one of the instructors to check on his progress. Kyo's in their lounge area waiting for time to pass when Ren came out from his room bundled up. Kyo lifted his head from the screen of his phone and turned to Ren. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Kyo burst out into laughter. He continued to laugh on the couch he was lying sideways on it.
Ren looked down at his clothes. Nothing was any different. It's just the hoodie they got at the mall once? Kyo didn't laugh this much that time.
"Seriously, why even buy a hoodie if your horns get in the way?" Kyo snorted.
Ren did have to poke out the fabric for his horns. He walked over and pouted down at Kyo on the couch, "but it's nice. It's the first thing we bought at the mall."
Ren was watching Kyo closely and saw the slight widening of his eyes before he blinked.
"You mean the first thing 'you' bought at the mall." Kyo sat back up his attention back on his phone, "I didn't buy shit that time."
"Maybe. Kyo?" Ren said. Kyo hummed in response. "I miss you."
"Huh?" This had Kyo put his attention to the alien. A frown in between his eyebrows. "What are you saying? I'm right here."
"You are, but.. you.." Ren sat down on the couch hands length away from him and he had his hands together. He exhaled meeting Kyo's gaze, "It doesn't feel like you are."
One. Two. Three. Four. Five seconds pass. Kyo looked away. He pressed his lips into a thin line
"Listen, Ren," Kyo started only to pause and then scowl. Ren kept his attention on Kyo waiting. He would wait for how long if it meant.. meant having Kyo back. "I.. I have to go. I don't want to be late."
Kyo got up and Ren reached out only for his hand to grasp at the air. Kyo left their dorm without a glance back. Ren's eyes flit to the wall clock near the door. Kyo had more than half an hour before he had to leave.
Ren lied down on the couch and curled in on himself. His mind only filled with thoughts of wanting Kyo back. Whatever that meant.
Kyo walked down the hallway to the dorm he shared with Ren. His meeting with his instructor didn't take as long as he thought and he was back. It's probably pass midnight by now and Ren would have entered his room by now. He pulled the door open and went in. He paused by the door to find Ren on the couch with a blue light blinking in and out on his horns.
Frowning he walked over and shook Ren by the shoulder. Ren grunted in response, but only to curl up even further.
"Ren?" Kyo sat down on the couch by then shaking the alien awake, but he doesn't respond. The seconds in between his horns blink grew longer. That didn't mean anything bad does it? "Ren? Come on. Wake up. This isn't funny!"
Ren continued to be unresponsive.
"Ren!" Kyo placed his hand on Ren's cheek and pulled back at how cold he was. It was almost like he just held onto ice. "Shit!"
Kyo's rushing into his and Ren's bedroom grabbing their bedsheets to wrap Ren in. He even took three of the hot packs to toss into Ren's hoodie. He brushed his hand on Ren's face again, he was still cold and the lights on his horns continued to blink.
Kyo glared at Ren's unconscious form, "You're lucky I like you. You damn alien."
Ren was blinking his eyes open then. The chill of the morning caressed his cheek and made him shiver and he wanted curl up, but he couldn't not with the weight on his arm and shoulder.
He looked down and Kyo's right there asleep. Kyo's sleeping face was so close he could feel his breathe blowing at his chin. He's awake now and he stared studying Kyo's face up close from his eyelashes to his nose until his eyes fall on his lips. They looked soft. He read in a human story how one's lips were soft and sweet. He wondered just how true those words were.
He moved in close, but he paused and instead pressed his lips to Kyo's forehead. His lips tingled and he smiled at the feeling he had. He loved this feeling. This warm feeling erupting in his chest at the thought of the smaller human with him. He wanted more. He wanted to shower Kyo with this feeling in his chest. When he pulled back, his blue eyes meet with Kyo's wide gold pair and gaping mouth. Ah, shoot. He just messed up.
"Kyo, ah, it's not what it looks like!" Ren and Kyo are sitting up on the couch.
"Then, you tell me what that was supposed to mean just now." Kyo was scowling down at his lap and picking at the threads of the blanket.
"I..." Ren swallowed. He didn't know, if he was honest. He just felt like it and he was just moving along without really thinking what he's doing, but it felt right. He reached out for Kyo's hand holding it and pressing it to his cheek.
He looked to Kyo watching him with pink cheeks. The thought it was because of him made him smile, "You make my heart skip a beat and it's addicting."
"You're—"
"I think this is what you humans call falling for someone?"
Kyo burned bright red then before he's pushing Ren on his face to create some distance between them, and Ren smiled pressing a kiss to the palm of his hand.
"Nah, bruh, you're sick and need to get some rest." Kyo said getting off the couch, but Ren pulled him back and locking him in his arms.
Kyo wriggled trying to escape from Ren. His escape was successful, but to Ren he felt like Kyo was back.
Kyo's just stepping out of the room like everyone else. The lecture got extended for some minutes and the rest of Iluna should have been having dinner by now. Maria's with him when they find Ren in the hallway wrapped up in a scarf and copying Kyo by wearing a hoodie underneath his Iluna jacket.
"Mari! Kyo!" Ren waved at them as they got closer.
"I'll see you two at the dining room," Maria smiled gently giving Kyo a push towards Ren while she made her leave humming.
"What are you doing here, Ren?" Kyo said looking up at him. There was no reason for Ren to be there waiting. They shared a dorm even and ate together during meals. “It’s winter. It’s colder.”
“I know,” Ren stepped into Kyo's personal space and took his hand in his intertwining them. Kyo looked at their hands. Ren's hands were bigger than his, but his hands were warmer.
"I missed you," Ren said and it was enough to cause the heat on Kyo's cheeks. It was also enough to cause his chest to bubble up with warmth. A soft laugh left him and he moved in closer to Kyo. "Kyo?"
"What?" Kyo's breath brushed against Ren's lips.
"Can I—"
Kyo's lips were indeed soft. Were his lips sweet? No one else, but Ren would know since he was addicted to Kyo.