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Grizz and Mantaro stared into they sky. With very little to no light polution in the area, the stars shined in the night sky.
Their backs layed on some grass a cool breeze ran through them, making Mantaro shiver. The Bear noticed this and slowing scooched closer to him to provide some warmth.
The Manta, affectionate as always instantly cuddled into Grizz's thick and fluffy fur, sighing in relief as of the much needed warmth.
While Mantaro closed his eyes and listened to music through his headphones, Grizz just stared. He stared into the sky. Remembering what it was like out there. The quiet. The lack of sound. Lack of smell. The bland rations. Back then it felt like everything was black and white. The Ark Polaris was a plain colour, space was dark besides the thousands of stars and gaxalies. For Grizz, it felt like he can only see life. He thought he'd just watch. Watch his life fly by.
But now, back on Earth, everything changed. He could feel the air around him, smell the world, hear the world, heck even taste the world if he wanted to. It was literally a breath of fresh air. But most of all the new emotions he felt. In Space it was nothing. It felt bland. Not even in a boring type way. It was just bland. Like a blank sheet of paper. Or food with no flavour.
All the new things he felt, happiness, anger, saddness and a whole lot of other stuff. It was just... Amazing to him. And behind it was the Manta beside him. Drifting off in his own little world of music and fantasy. Grizz couldn't help but smile a little. But anything resembling emotion in the Bear got Mantaro up on his fins.
"Hey furball. You're smiling~" He teased. "Ah.. Sorry, didn't realise.." The Bear got defensive. "Hey don't be like that.." The Manta's fins went to the Bear's face. "No need to be sorry about you getting smiley! Tell me, whatcha thinking?" Mantaro sat up, eager to hear what the Bear was thinking about.
"Ah... Well- I.." The Bear hesitated. "You'll find it.. Silly." Mantaro laughed. "Nonesense! Whatever you say I'll listen."
The Bear thought for a while. His paws fiddling with the cool grass. "Well.. Uhm.." He sighed and began.
"When we first met... Well I felt myself change. In a good way. I felt things I never felt before. And well.. I'm so grateful for it Mantaro. I love you Mantaro." The Bear smiled innocently.
Mantaro, now blushing like mad, just froze. "W-what???" Grizz could feel how tense Mantaro got. "Ah!? Did I say something??! Im so sorry Mantaro-" "Ay! No-no- it's not bad. Im just... Surprised??"
The Bear was still confused. "Why surprised?" He leaned in. His nose almost touching the blushing Manta's face. And he could easily smell the sour candy he had eaten from earlier.
Mantaro crused at the fact Grizz knew little about people having personal space but loved him getting closer. Right now his mind was like a metronome. Going back and forth between if this is a good idea or not. "Well- well you said you loved and uhh- W-well you've never said.. Anything like that before so uhhhhh..."
Grizz stared at Mantaro with big eyes, his ears perk up as a reaction. The Manta can't help but blush even more. 'Cute..'
"I have heard other people say it. Like you say it to your parents. I asked them what it means, and they said you say it to people you care about."
'Oh..' He meant it that way. Mantaro looked down at his fins.
Truth was. The lil Manta began gaining feelings for the Bear Cub. He didn't understand why at first. But now that he looks at it, he supposed it made sense. Grizz was cute and lovely. He always helps him no matter what. And well... He's just amazing to the young Manta.
Mantaro thought about just trying to dissolve those feelings before Grizz began to speak again.
"Although..." The Bear began. "I don't really understand it."
"What?" The Manta stared.
"When you that to your parents, it means you care for them? Right?"
"Yeah that's right. I care for them so I say 'I love you'" Mantaro was trying to understand the Bear and what he's saying.
"But Shiver and Frye say 'I love you' as well. When I asked them about it Frye told me 'Saying I love you is saying you're grateful for them for changing your life'. But then Shiver hit her saying how cheesy she was being."
Mantaro just kept looking at him with beady eyes. "I love you. For both reasons. And more." The Bear finished. Mantaro felt his heart beat faster and faster. "And more?" He questioned. "What other reasons do you love me more?" It was the bear's turn to blush, well not blush but fluff up.
"Uhm.. Well.. I love you because you make me happy. I love you because you're funny. I love you because you make my heart full. I don't know how it feels that way but yeah! I love you because of you!"
The Manta wanted to hide his face from all the sweet things Grizz said to him. He wasn't sure how to react.
But Grizz was one step ahead of him. His paws reached the Manta's fins. "Mantaro? Do you love me?" That was the killing blow. The poor Manta almost blew a fuse. "I-I-I uh wha, ay- I uh-" Everything was jumble. Mantaro's and Grizz's face were mere inches apart. 'I wanna kiss you...' Mantaro said to himself. He wanted to kiss Grizz. He wanted to shower him with love. But all in the end he wasn't sure if that's what Grizz meant. He wasn't sure if his feelings were the same as his. Mantaro took a deep breath and accepted his fate. "Yes Grizz. I love you.. So, so, so much. You have no idea." He went with it. He didn't care. It was a messed up confession but it'll have to do.
The trees swayed with the wind and a breeze flew past them. But the Manta couldn't feel the cold. He could only feel the warmth of his heart beating. "Oh! That reminds me!" Grizz roared out. "H-huh?" Mantaro got confused again.
Grizz's face got closer. Mantaro felt his heart pound harder. Everything was so hot yet.. So nice... It felt safe. Natural even.
"May I? It's a thing your parents as well as Shiver and Frye seem to do.." The Bear's gaze turned down in embrassment. "Ay!? What is it?" The Manta began to squirm while sitting trying to keep his excitment down.
"I can't show. You have to close your eyes.." The Bear said. Mantaro swallowed. Then shut his eyes tight, waiting for what Grizz was about to do. He could feel the Bear's breath right on his face,, and then-
Boop
'Huh??'
Mantaro felt Grizz against his skin. But not on his lips. A smile begins to form on his lips as he opens his eyes seeing the Bear and himself touch noses. Grizz backs up hearing the Manta laugh slightly.
"What? Did I do something wrong?" Grizz looked down with big eyes, pouty lips and his ears facing down. "N-no! No you did nothing wrong! It just- I wasn't expecting that." The Manta said between laughs. "Were you... Trying to kiss me?" Mantaro asked.
"Yes! Your parents and Shiver and Frye do it! What's wrong with how I do it?"
"Haha, you use your lips not nose silly!!" At that point Grizz groaned and just layed on his stomach in defeat. He covered his eyes with his paws.
"Mmm.. I don't understand. You are all so complicated..." Grizz said. Mantaro laughs and while he does the Bear stares at him. Watching and listening, and just like that Grizz becomes determimed to understand how kisses work and show Mantaro how much he loves him.