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Kyo stands in front of Ren’s door, debating with himself on whether he should enter or not. He hears Ren let out a harsh cough and Kyo can’t help but worry about how congested he sounds. He stares at the handle and grabs it, letting himself inside without knocking. Ren turns his attention to Kyo with a surprised look. “Hey Kyo. I told you I wasn’t feeling well, you probably shouldn’t get too close.”
He looks rough.
“I’m not afraid of a little cold.” Kyo pouts, closing the door and walking to Ren’s bed. Kyo sets his hand on Ren’s forehead, the skin feeling much warmer than normal. Kyo can practically feel the heat coming off of his usually cold skin. “How bad is it?”
“Not horrible. Just tired and my throat hurts.”
“You have a fever.” Kyo states. Ren looks at him softly.
“Yeah, that too… Why’d you come? Worried about me?” Ren teases. Kyo’s face visibly softens and he glances at the door momentarily.
“Yeah, and if I was.” Kyo answers. There’s no usual bite behind his words. Ren smiles and Kyo slides his hand down to Ren’s cheek, petting it with his thumb.
“You’re being awfully sweet.” Ren observes, making Kyo pause. He closes his eyes and lets his head hang for a moment before looking at Ren again.
“Is there anything you need?” Kyo asks.
“You.” Ren says with a serious look on his face. Kyo scoffs and pulls his hand away. Ren laughs quietly.
“I’m being serious Ren. You always help take care of me when I want it when I’m not feeling well. Just tell me what you need.”
“I am being serious.” Ren says. “Scarle kinda mother henned me, making sure I ate soup and drank water. I’m just tired now… Could we maybe… cuddle?”
He asks like we haven’t cuddled before…
“Yeah.” Kyo answers, trying to hide the nervousness in his own voice. He stands and Ren just stares at him. “I’m just gonna lock the door first.” Kyo locks it and quickly returns to the bed, pulling off his socks and crawling under the blanket beside Ren. Ren immediately wraps his arms around Kyo, Kyo taking a moment to adjust before getting comfortable. He holds Ren back, reaching up to brush Ren’s hair out of his eyes. “Get some rest.”
“I will.” Ren whispers. It doesn’t take long for his breathing to deepen, his hold on Kyo relaxing.
He looks content.
Kyo can’t help but stare at Ren’s face, wondering if Ren does the same thing when Kyo sleeps. It doesn’t last long though, Kyo’s thoughts dispersing as Ren’s feverish warmth lulls him to sleep.
***
“Hahaha!” Kyo laughs deviously as Ren walks in the door of the dorm hall. He’s covered in mud, dirt, and dead leaves. “Bro, what happened to you?”
“Some garden fae and earth elementals were practicing with the water sprites.” Aster groans, following Ren inside. He’s in a similar state, causing Kyo to laugh harder. Aster pouts and takes off his shoes, stomping to his room. “You suck!”
“I’m going to get a shower.” Ren says. He sounds off, almost upset. His head is tilted to the right and before Kyo can ask him if he’s okay, he speeds to his room.
I know Aster was just messing around, but Ren seems pretty upset… Maybe I’ll ask him when he gets out of the shower.
Kyo’s on his phone when a voice calls out to him. It’s small, a tone he’s never heard come out of Ren. It worries him and he jumps to his feet, following the sound to Ren’s room. “Kyo, could you help me please?” Ren asks vulnerably.
“Yeah.” Kyo answers, letting Ren pull him into the room. Ren closes and locks the door, dragging Kyo over to the bed. He gently pushes Kyo to sit on the bed and kneels down. He grabs his right horn and turns it towards Kyo.
“Mud got stuck in it. I can’t get it out.”
“Can’t you just cut it off?” Kyo asks, knowing Ren’s horns grow back. Ren sits back a bit, disappointment and hurt written across his face.
Please don’t make that face…
“Y-yeah… we can do that.” He says hesitantly.
“Or could I clean it? Is that possible?” Kyo suggests, wanting the expression to go away. Thankfully, it works, Ren’s face lighting back up.
“That would be nice. Could you, please?” Ren all but begs. Kyo nods.
“What should I clean it with?” Kyo asks. Ren reaches over to his nightstand and hands Kyo an odd shaped brush. The handle is short and black, its brush is round.
“Please try not to pack it down more. I can rinse it with water later if you can’t get it out, it just needs to be loosened.” Ren says gently. Kyo doesn’t respond, but Ren knows he heard, lowering his head onto Kyo’s lap.
How should I start?
Kyo gently grips Ren’s horn, looking down at the shallow divet. The blue glow is dimmer, obstructed by the mud. Kyo gently pushes against the blue, knowing it’s more sensitive than the outside. The brush pushes against the mud, easily clearing it away. Ren starts making breathy sounds. “Am I hurting you?” Kyo whispers.
“No.” Ren whispers back. “You’re being very gentle. Thank you.”
He sounds uncomfortable, but this mud isn’t that hard to clean. Did he seriously have trouble cleaning them?
Kyo gently scrubs against it, watching the rest of the mud come loose. Ren sighs in relief when Kyo dislodges the chuck. Kyo pulls the brush away and looks at Ren’s horn. Some of the mud had dried, sitting as small chunks of dirt. Without thinking, Kyo leans down and blows air onto Ren’s horn, the dirt flying away. Kyo feels Ren tremble, reaching up and grabbing Kyo’s sides. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.” A rumble comes from Ren.
Is he..?
Ren opens his eyes and looks up at Kyo, his face now relaxed and content. Another long rumble comes from his throat. “I knew aliens could make purring noises, but I didn’t know you could actually purr.”
“We usually don’t.” Ren says. “Most never hear it like this.” Kyo’s heart warms at the notion, but nervousness wells in his stomach. He looks back at Ren’s horn, a little mud is still smeared on it.
“Can I use my finger to get the rest?” Kyo asks. Ren nods, closing his eyes again. Kyo wets his middle finger with his tongue and gently rubs the last of the dirt away. Ren’s purring only grows louder. Kyo looks down the side of his horns, meticulously clearing the dirt from the rest of his horns. “I think I finally got it all.” Kyo says quietly, trying not to disturb Ren’s content sounds. He continues to massage the horns.
“It feels so much better.” Ren says. “Thank you.”
“Did you actually need help?” Kyo asks after a long silence. Ren’s purring quiets some and Kyo can feel him relax his head. He gently pinches the end of Ren’s horn, hearing the alien grunt. “I know you can hear me.”
“No…” Ren admits sheepishly. “I didn’t need help… I just wanted it.”
“You just wanted me to brush and touch your horns?”
“Yeah…”
Nope.
“Ren. Look at me.” Kyo demands, lifting Ren’s head up. Ren hesitantly opens his eyes, flickering his eyes between Kyo and everywhere else. “Why did you want me to clean your horns? Is it another part of your alien stuff you haven’t told me about?” Ren’s face turns guilty.
Knew it.
“It’s just- I- You’re just- I wanted us to do something… intimate. It’s not like, sexual, but… we only really let special people touch our horns like that.” Ren explains. “I was having a bad day and I wanted my special person to make me feel better.”
Shit… He can’t say it like that…
Kyo’s hands shake with nervousness as he lets Ren’s words sink in. His heart pounds dangerously and he feels his face grow hot. “I understand if you’re upset or uncomfo-”
“I’m no- '' Kyo interrupts then stops himself. “Don’t assume my feelings!”
“You’re not angry about this?” Ren asks hopefully.
“Stop assuming!” Kyo snaps, but doesn’t deny. Ren moves up to sit on the bed, hugging Kyo. Kyo doesn’t push him away, just closes his eyes and turns his head away. His perplexed look softens when Ren starts purring again.
“Could I brush your hair?”
“Why? Is it messy?” Kyo grumbles.
“No. But you don’t have horns, so I want to do something else for you. I could give you a massage or something else if you want me to?” Kyo opens his eyes to glance at Ren, who looks at him with a wanting look.
“You can brush my hair.” Kyo allows. “Just don’t yank it.”
“I won’t.” Ren promises, jumping up and running to grab his hairbrush out of the bathroom. He quickly returns and starts feeling through Kyo’s hair, looking for obvious knots to be wary of. Ren’s nails against his scalp send tingles through him, causing Kyo to shiver. Ren breathily laughs but doesn’t comment.
Stupid alien.
***
Kyo lets out a deep sigh, trying to type on his laptop. He sits on his bed, leaning back against Ren’s chest. “Ren, you are making it very hard to get this essay done.” Kyo snips as Ren brushes the side of his face across the top of Kyo’s head again. “What are you even doing?”
“Umm… nothing.” Ren says suspiciously.
This bitch does not think I’m that stupid, right?
“Let go of me.”
“Nooo! Kyo!” Ren tightens his arms around Kyo when he tries to move away.
“Then tell me what you’re doing.” Kyo pouts, relaxing back into Ren’s hold. His eyes flicker to the locked door, though he knows it’s locked. He checked three times before he was able to relax.
“Well… you smell like everyone at school.”
“Huh? You can smell them?”
“Yeah.” Ren says, taking a deep breath against Kyo’s neck. “I don’t like it.”
“I only sit close to our group, I shouldn’t smell like other people… You aren’t seriously getting jealous of them, are you?”
“No… it’s… everyone else. I can smell them on you. And some of them can smell others on you too. I want you to smell like me, or Aster or Scarle or, you know? I… want you to smell like home, so everyone knows where you belong.” Ren confesses.
“So, you’re like, making me smell like you by rubbing your face on me?”
“Yeah… Is that okay? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” Ren asks. Kyo is silent, a thoughtful look upon his face.
“What do I smell like?”
“Huh?”
“You heard me. What’s my scent? And what do you smell like?”
“Oh!” Ren lets out, surprised. “Clean and warm, like laundry fresh out of the dryer. There’s also a kinda… rain-like smell, maybe?”
“I thought humans would smell like sweat, or just meat or something.” Kyo states.
“Well, all humans kinda smell… musky? But it’s not entirely unpleasant. You don’t smell very strong.”
“Musky? Like ferrets?”
“What’s a ferret?” Ren asks curiously. Kyo’s face drops.
Seriously…
“An animal, I’ll show you later.” Kyo promises. “And you?”
“Me?
“What do you smell like? Otherworldly?” Kyo teases.
“Do you want to smell?” Ren asks. Kyo gives him an odd look, which Ren laughs at. “What?”
“I’m not a dog, I can’t just sniff you.” Ren laughs again and reaches over to Kyo’s laptop, closing it and setting it to the side. Kyo doesn’t complain, the screen had gone dark ages ago. Ren grabs Kyo’s chin, making them look each other in the eyes. He leans close, Kyo closing his eyes in response. Ren rests his forehead on Kyo’s and pauses, taking a few deep breaths. Kyo suddenly starts smelling something metallic, but not too sharp. Smokey too. It’s distinctly Ren, something he’s smelled before, but not strong enough to put words to until now. “You smell kinda like the welding room, but… not…” Kyo states when Ren leans back.
I thought he was going to kiss me…
“Is that a bad thing?” Ren asks and Kyo just shakes his head. The smell starts to fade and Kyo leans on Ren. He peeks at the clock, noticing the late time. “Tired?”
“Mhmm.” Kyo hums. Ren leans forward and starts moving Kyo. Kyo groans in response, pushing against Ren to make him lean back against the headboard again.
“Don’t you want to go to sleep?” Ren asks. Kyo nods. “I’ll go to bed then so you can sleep.”
“You don’t have to.” Kyo whispers. Kyo feels Ren go still for a moment before sitting up again, moving Kyo out of his comfortable position. Kyo feels hurt, surprised that Ren continued to move. “You can stay…” Kyo clarifies quietly, grabbing onto Ren’s shirt.
“I am. I’m just letting us get comfortable… Did you think I was leaving?” Ren asks gently.
“No.” Kyo lies. Ren snickers and adjusts them, turning the lamp beside them off. He lays down beside Kyo and wraps his arms around him, cuddling him close. Kyo relaxes again, hiding his face under Ren’s chin.
“Goodnight, Kyo.” Ren kisses Kyo’s head.
“Goodnight.”
***
“Oh, fuck this hurts…” Kyo grumbles to himself, holding his bleeding arm. He had run into a sharp edge of a fence when he went to take a shortcut through an alley.
Guess I’m not going that way again…
Kyo opens the door to the dorms and steps inside. He’s barely finished toeing off his shoes when he hears fast approaching footsteps. “KYO!”
“Woah!” Kyo yells, being knocked off his feet. He’s lifted and everything turns into a blur as he’s quickly moved from one room to the next. He’s dropped on Ren’s bed and Ren immediately grabs Kyo’s arm. “Ren! What the hell are you doing!?”
“You’re bleeding! Who hurt you!?” Ren practically growls. Kyo looks up at his eyes. They’re nothing but thin strips.
“No one! I… I just ran into a fence…” Kyo answers, almost intimidated by the look on Ren’s face. “I’m fine.”
“Take off your jacket.” Ren demands, unzipping Kyo’s jacket and pulling on it. Kyo smacks Ren’s hands and tries to push him back. Ren doesn’t budge, but he does pause.
“I’m fine!” Kyo snaps again, challenging Ren with his eyes. Ren stares back, blinking and, seemingly, calming down. Ren lets go of Kyo’s jacket and steps back.
“Sorry… I… I just smelled blood. Your blood. I got scared.” Ren admits.
“Ren… I can take care of myself.” Kyo starts.
“I know that! I’m not saying you can’t. I… I just worry. It’s… instinct.” Ren explains. Kyo sighs.
Probably more of this alien stuff I don’t understand…
“I’ll let you help me. But never, I mean never, grab me like that again. Not unless I’m actively dying. Got it?”
“Yes… Sorry.” Ren breathes. “Could you take off your jacket, please?” Kyo sighs and pulls his jacket off, watching Ren’s eyes snap to the cut. He grabs Kyo’s arm and moves close.
“Don’t you need the medkit? There’s one in all the bathrooms.”
“Actually…” Ren starts. “My saliva has a chemical that can stop the bleeding.”
You gotta be kidding me!
“Oh hell naw, you are not licking my cut! That’s nasty!” Kyo protests.
“But it’ll help…” Ren says, sounding a bit disappointed. He then turns towards the bathroom. “I’ll g-”
“Make it quick.” Kyo says, looking away. A moment passes and he feels Ren move close, his breath against the wound. Long and slimy, gently passing over the cut over and over. Each swipe makes the pain subside slightly. By the time Ren’s done Kyo almost feels like he’s enjoying it. He’d never tell though.
“All done.” Ren says, turning Kyo’s arm to see his handiwork. He stands and walks to the bathroom to get a bandage and Kyo looks at his arm. As promised, his arm isn’t bleeding anymore. Ren returns and covers it, making sure it’ll stay clean.
“Thanks.” Kyo pouts. “Even if your alien abilities are freaky as fuck.”
“You say that a lot.” Ren laughs.
“Am I wrong?” Kyo asks. Ren just shrugs.
“Maybe for you humans, but it’s pretty normal for me.”
How different is human blood to alien blood? Does he think it’s… tasty or..? Maybe I don’t want to know.
“Normal how?”
“When our… special one is hurt we usually tend to each other's wounds like that. You don’t see it a lot, but it’s common knowledge that it’s something intimate.”
“You don’t expect me to lick your wounds do you?” Kyo asks, a bit worried.
“I won’t make you. I wouldn’t be opposed, but I know that’s pretty weird for humans. I won’t be upset about it if you never do.”
Oh thank god!
“Okay.” Kyo nods. “Just, please don’t be all crazy like that again. I know I was hurt and I’m… glad you helped me, but I don’t want to be babied.”
“Got it. I’ll do my best to keep that instinct under control.” Ren promises.
“Thank you.”
***
Ren and Kyo talk and laugh quietly, trying not to be too disruptive in the quiet neighborhood. Hooking a left, they make their way into a park and sit on the swings. Kyo looks up at the moon and sighs, tired and content from the long day. “I had a really good time. We should do this more often.” Ren says, pushing himself on the swing.
“Yeah.” Kyo agrees. “That arcade was really nice. The music was a bit loud in some spots though.”
“I forget you have sensitive ears.”
“They’re not sensitive.” Kyo protests, pushing himself back lightly. “People just ruin their eardrums by blasting things too loud.”
“Some music is meant to be loud.” Ren argues, swinging through the air. Kyo rolls his eyes and continues to rock his feet.
“Like at a concert?”
“Yeah. Want to go to one with me sometime?” Ren asks.
“Sure, but we aren’t going to be right next to any speakers.”
“Well, our next date is set. Just have to find a band we’d both like to see.”
Next date? I didn’t really think about today like that… but I guess it is.
“Yeah, sounds li-” Kyo’s cut off by Ren jumping off the swing and grabbing Kyo’s wrist, pulling Kyo off his swing as well. “Ren!?”
“Who’s there!?” Ren growls, glaring into the darkness. Kyo hears branches snap and a tall creature makes itself known. It growls, its large frame hunched and aggressive. Kyo grabs Ren’s hand and tries to walk them backwards. Ren doesn’t budge.
“Ren, let’s leave.” Kyo whispers aggressively. Ren doesn’t answer, growling back at the creature. He starts to bare his teeth and Kyo tries to tug Ren back again. The creature steps forward and Kyo can feel Ren’s skin ripple. As if he’s about to jump out of it.
I need to do something…
Kyo uses his free hand to try and concentrate his moon magic, doing his best to conjure up moon sprites. Blue sparks quickly manifest and an apparition appears beside him. “Lead it away please. We don’t need a fight.” The moon sprite acts immediately, moving forward and gaining the creature’s attention. It rushes past the creature and the creature chases it.
Thank you moon.
Kyo tugs on Ren’s hand. He reacts this time, looking down at Kyo. He’s bristling with energy. “It’s gone, let’s get back to the dorms.” Kyo suggests. Ren nods and starts walking, not letting go of Kyo’s hand. Kyo walks close to him, checking behind them every so often to make sure the creature didn’t come back. Ren does the same, an alert and serious look on his face. “I almost forgot about that lesson about not running from mystical creatures. About them usually not chasing unless you give them a reason to. Thanks.” Kyo says, trying to lighten the mood back up. Ren doesn’t answer.
We had a good day, of course something had to come up.
They make it to the edge of the brick fence surrounding the school and Kyo stops. Ren pauses and looks around, wondering why Kyo had stopped. Kyo takes a look around too, looking at the lack of buildings. He grabs Ren’s other hand and makes them face each other. Kyo can tell he’s still on edge. “I really enjoyed our date today. I’d like to do these more often.” Kyo admits, leaning forward and tilting his head up. He feels warm all over as his lips meet Ren’s. Ren stiffens, taken aback for a moment, then returns the kiss. It doesn’t last long, but it relays the message.
“I’m really glad… Thanks for using your blessing to get us out of there peacefully.” Ren says.
“It’s no problem.” Kyo brushes off, awkwardly avoiding eye contact. Ren giggles and tilts Kyo’s head back up with a hand under his chin. He pecks Kyo’s lips a few times and turns, leading Kyo back to the dorms.
“We don’t have to end the day now… We can cuddle and watch a movie.” Ren suggests.
“That sounds nice.” Kyo admits, his face a bit red. He brushes his thumb over Ren’s skin. The same skin that rippled and moved unnaturally when they were threatened.
“Yes! Alright, so there’s this new movie where…”
Didn’t take much to get him back to normal… Though I guess this wasn’t always his normal… How different is his true form? Do I even want to know? I’ll probably find out one day…
***
Kyo pants heavily as he runs through the woods. He hears a few other students run past him and he looks for a place to hide.
I’m not very good at long distance running, so hiding will be my best bet. I can’t shape shift like some of the others, so this might be a bit harder for me.
He looks up at the trees, noticing some have flowers rather than have leaves. Knowing the floral smell could help disguise his scent from certain students, he runs to the one with the most flowers. He climbs the tall tree, careful not to fall. He doesn’t stop until he’s on a high, comfortable branch, one he can see the tops of other trees from. He checks the time on his phone.
Only a minute left before the hunters are let loose. Then twenty minutes of waiting… No one should find me here. Hopefully.
The smell of the flowers almost overwhelms him, but he pushes through. He refuses to lose the game. He checks the pink cloth tied around his waist, pulling the two ends to tighten it. All a hunter has to do is pull it off to get him out.
And Ren will be hell bent on getting me out…
Kyo sits in silence, listening to the sounds around him. He hears branches snap and hollers of a few hunters successfully getting people out. He even holds his breath when someone stops under the tree, holding himself back from sighing in relief when they eventually pass. He doesn’t want anyone to hear him. He pulls out his phone and checks the time.
Halfway done.
As soon as Kyo secures his phone back in his pocket, an arm grabs him from behind and a hand silences him. He struggles for a moment, then stops, almost teetering off the branch. “Gotcha…” A familiar voice snickers in his ear. Kyo can feel his blood pressure rise immediately. He swings his elbow back into Ren’s hard stomach, making the man laugh harder. “I got six out of the fifthteen.” Ren announces, lifting up the collection of pink ties in front of them. “Well… seven.” He gestures at Kyo.
“How did you get up here? I didn’t even hear you!” Kyo asks, trying to calm his frenzied heart.
I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest…
“My species is known for hunting. Silence is key for that.”
“I thought you aliens were more… um…”
“Violent? Sometimes. A lot of my kind like to… play with our food…” Ren whispers into Kyo’s ear.
“Stop toying with me!” Kyo whispers angrily and Ren backs up, laughing again.
“Well, just so you know, you’re pretty good at this.” Ren praises.
Yeah right…
“If I was that good you wouldn’t have found me.” Kyo pouts. He sees Ren’s eyes flicker to his lips for a moment, then return to his eyes when he relaxes his face.
I will not give him the satisfaction of seeing me pout.
“Honestly, if I were anyone else, I don’t think I could have found you. These flowers smell super strong. Some of these trees had their aroma strengthened by some of the students.”
“How come you found me then?”
“Kyo, I could find you anywhere. I just know your scent too well.” Ren says. Kyo’s heart skips a beat.
Anywhere?
“Oh, would you look at that? You look a bit flustered!”
“Shut up! You stupid fu-”
“GAME END! ALL UNCAUGHT HIDERS ARE SAFE! RETURN TO THE TRACK FIELD!” A loud announcement rings out. Kyo looks down, suddenly not looking forward to climbing down. He sighs and swings a leg down, grabbing the branch he’s sitting on and using it to move down.
“Need help?” Ren asks.
“No, I don’t need help.” Kyo answers, taking another step down. His foot slides a bit and he tightens his grip on the branch.
“Sorry… Do you want help though?” Ren asks, climbing down a few branches effortlessly.
At least he’d break our fall if we go down.
“Fine.” Kyo agrees. Ren jumps next to his branch and turns around, moving into a position where Kyo can get on his back. Reluctantly, Kyo wraps his arms around Ren, climbing up him and holding tight. He looks down at the ground nervously.
“I won’t let us fall.” Ren assures him, hopping down a few branches. He moves quickly and Kyo shuts his eyes, not wanting to see them fall to their demise.
“You better not!” Kyo snips. They make it to the ground in moments and Ren takes off running. “What are you doing!?”
“Getting us back to class quicker. I’ll let you down before we get too close.” Ren huffs. Kyo watches the forest rush by them, almost motion sick from the speed. Before he knows it, he can see the tall school through the trees. Ren stops as promised, letting Kyo down. When Kyo looks down, he realises it.
“Ha! I won!”
“Huh?”
“You didn’t take my tie! I won.” Kyo cheers and Ren looks down at Kyo’s waist.
“Damn it…” Ren says and Kyo takes off running towards the track field. Ren is hot behind him, though he knows Ren could out run him in an instant.
Guess I should be glad Ren enjoys earth so much… I wouldn’t want to be on the other side of a real hunt.
***
Kyo sits on a bean bag in Ren’s room, snacking on a bowl of alien fruit and listening to Ren strum his guitar. Ren’s humming is nearly putting Kyo to sleep, the room's atmosphere being extremely comfortable. “Kyo?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you play any instruments?”
“Not really. I used to play a couple growing up, but nothing that I pursued.” Kyo answers. Ren nods and starts humming again. “Why did you want to know?”
“Well, playing music together is such a human thing. I want to do it with you someday.” Ren says.
“Well I am not musically inclined like you are. I suck, a lot.” Kyo dismisses.
“So? It’s not always about how good we sound, it’s about doing it together. We don’t even have to be around other people. It could just be an us thing.” Ren pushes. His strumming had paused while he talked, but he picked up a new tune as soon as he was done. “I can teach you. Is there anything you’d like to learn?”
Anything?
“The didgeridoo.” Kyo states.
“Pfft, ahaha!” Ren laughs, Kyo quickly joining in. “You know, I wasn’t expecting that answer!”
“For real though, I think I’d rather just listen to you play. I might sing along every now and then, but I don’t think I’m ready to start learning an instrument right now.”
“Alright.” Ren relents. “So… which songs would you..?”
“Not right now… soon maybe.” Kyo says. Ren nods and loses himself in his music again.
He said he came to love earth because of the music… Would he have stayed if he never heard it? Is there really no music where he comes from?
Kyo can’t imagine Ren without music. It almost hurts him to think about it. He looks up at Ren, the happiness on his face when he plays. He continues to wonder about how Ren was before, becoming increasingly curious. “What if you never found music on earth?” Kyo asks. Ren stops playing and humming, a thoughtful look coming over his face.
“Honestly… I probably wouldn’t have stayed here very long.” Ren admits. “There’s a lot more planets that have different infrastructure and species. I think I’d be curious about humans and stuff, but I think I would’ve gotten bored eventually.”
“Is music really that new to you?”
“Kinda. Music is everywhere, you just have to know where to find it. My planet is full of ambient noises, but we don’t really have “music.” At least, not until recently.”
“You’ve been sending them earth music?”
“Yep.” Ren says, looking quite proud of himself.
Of course he’s proud, he wants music to make its way to everyone.
“Can they even understand the lyrics?”
“Some of them. I was teaching my family english, but they got an actual teacher once they knew I wasn’t leaving earth. We pick up languages pretty quickly, so they’re getting pretty fluent in it.”
“Do they know the difference between a dog and a cat?” Kyo asks and Ren pouts.
“Yes. They do know the difference.” Ren says and Kyo laughs. He stands up and walks over to the bed, sitting next to Ren. He leans his head on Ren’s shoulder and Ren’s hand comes up to touch his face, turning his head and kissing Kyo on the head. “They’d love to meet you.”
“Huh?” Kyo startles. Ren carefully reaches out and sets his guitar down on a stand, then looks at Kyo.
“I said they’d love to meet you. Either you can go to my planet, or they could come to earth. I’ve told them a lot about you and Iluna. They really want to meet you.”
Me?
“You’re talking like they know about us. Like us being, you know?”
“Together? Well, I haven’t told them, but I think they know…” Ren admits. “I talk about everyone, but they said I talk about you almost as much as I talk about music…”
I should’ve known better. Ren is anything but subtle.
“Please don’t be mad.” Ren begs, wrapping his arms around Kyo.
“I’m not mad… but I’m also not sure how comfortable I would be traveling through space to a planet I know nothing about. I might not act like it, but I’d rather be respectful of your planet's customs when I’m there.”
“When? So you want to go eventually?” Ren asks, excited. “You’re okay meeting my parents?”
“Yes… and yes. I’d like to meet them someday… but I don’t think I’m ready to be introduced as your boyfriend. I want to be comfortable enough to tell everyone here first.”
“I mean… they already know…” Ren lets out gently.
“I know!” Kyo snaps. “But they don’t, know know. We haven’t told them anything. They’re just assuming.”
“Assuming correctly.” Ren adds unhelpfully. Kyo sighs. “You know they won’t judge us.”
“I know… soon. Just… I know how I feel now, about everything… It’s just…” Kyo pauses, trying to find the right words.
“Take your time.” Ren says encouragingly, holding Kyo closer and resting his cheek on Kyo’s head. Kyo wraps his arms around Ren, accepting the hug.
If we tell everyone, then it feels a little too real. Official.
“I’ve had a few partners before. Nothing serious and they didn’t last very long.” Kyo starts. “I just had to make sure that…”
“That I’m more than just a fleeting interest?”
“Yeah.” Kyo confirms.
“And the verdict?”
“This is a lot different. A lot more serious… I think I really… love you.” Kyo admits, hiding his face in Ren’s chest. “And that kinda scares me. I don’t want to lose this.” Ren tightens his arms around Kyo.
“If it makes you feel better, my species mate for life.”
“That scares me too.”
“Then don’t think about it right now. We’ll talk more when it comes to that, okay? Since I’m royalty, it has to be officiated anyway.” Ren comforts.
There’s so much more I don’t know about him…
“Here. Let me show you something.” Ren says, grabbing Kyo’s head and tilting it towards his own. He presses his nose against Kyo’s and moves his own up and down, essentially petting Kyo’s nose with his own. Ren’s nose meets the bridge of Kyo’s nose again and Kyo feels a familiar wetness against the tip of his nose.
What is he doing?
“Re-”
“Shh…” Ren hushes him. Kyo almost wants to push him away, but he’s too curious to know what’s happening. Kyo closes his eyes, letting Ren continue. Ren moves down Kyo’s face, trailing small licks down to Kyo’s neck. As this happens, Ren’s hands had moved down Kyo’s back, slipping under his shirt. Ren’s nails move in circular motions against Kyo’s skin, moving upwards and around. It feels like vibrations are running through his body, rhythmic and soothing. Kyo grabs onto Ren’s shirt.
What’s he doing to me?
The licks continue all over Kyo’s neck, turning into nibbles and bites. Kyo isn’t even sure if Ren’s fangs are puncturing his skin, but despite feeling the sharp pricks, he wouldn’t say it hurts. He tilts his head back and Ren uses it as an opportunity to cover more skin. Ren pushes his sharp claw into a spot in between Kyo’s shoulder blades and Kyo groans. The vibrations become more intense and Kyo starts trembling, his eyes beginning to water. He starts to dig his nails into Ren’s back. “Ren.”
“Am I hurting you?” Ren asks gently, his lips against Kyo’s neck still.
“I don’t think so. Why do I feel so tingly?”
“It’s my… vibrations? We call it something different that I can’t really explain in a human language. It’s a way for us to show affection, along with the biting and licking. I’m really glad you can feel it though, I was a bit worried you wouldn’t.” Ren explains.
Aliens are so confusing… human stuff is so much more straightforward.
Kyo lifts his head back up and kisses Ren. Ren quickly returns it, swiping his tongue across Kyo’s lips. It pushes past them, invading Kyo’s mouth. Kyo is taken aback, not ready for the sensation of Ren’s tongue against his. Ren pulls him even closer as his long appendage wraps around Kyo’s. They’re doing something Kyo had never thought he’d ever enjoy doing. While the sensation is odd, it’s not as repulsive as he thought it would be.
Only Ren could change someone’s opinions so easily.
They kiss for a long time, long enough for Kyo to temporarily forget his worries from before. Ren leans them back against the bed, laying them down and getting them comfortable. Kyo can still feel the vibrations throughout his body, just laying there enjoying the feeling. He feels heavy and tired, letting his eyes close. “Do you like the way the… tingles feel?”
“Yeah, actually. I do.” Kyo answers. Ren purrs in response, changing the rhythm of the vibrations slightly. Ren then makes a series of odd, indescribable sounds. It takes Kyo a moment to realise that he’s speaking, using a language Kyo couldn’t fathom understanding.
“That’s something that we tell people we love.” Ren explains, then seemingly repeats the phrase, this time a lot slower.
“I’m not sure I can make those sounds.”
“That’s fine… I’ll teach you something eventually.” Ren promises. Kyo nods and relaxes, letting the vibrations lull him to sleep. They have a calm night, basking in each other's warmth, though Kyo has a few words for Ren when he wakes up. The bite marks across his neck are too high and far too many to hide easily.