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the yellow crescent shone through the dark abyss, accompanied by some twinkles of the stars and occasional satellites. ren and noir had just finished their supper, and decided to take a walk through the community park to ease off their filled-to-the-brim stomachs. the first few minutes were nice and relaxing—ren and noir strolled through the rocky pavement as they talk about their lives before coming to kamakura. ren shared about his decade long training in the mountains, while noir revealed details about being some kind of exorcist back in france. eventually, the two settled on a bench after their legs began to wear off from the long walk.
as ren exhaled, a white cloud escaped his mouth. he leaned back on the bench, his shoulder lightly brushing noir's silver shoulder shields. noir, who was staring at the dark horizon, immediately averted his gaze to the point of contact. realising it was probably ren who unintentionally struck the shield, noir looked away once more, but this time, toward the pavement.
"i've never seen anyone wear such clothes," ren broke the silence, his voice gentle.
"i'm not one to fit in with the crowd." noir replied. he cleared his throat, mimicking ren's reclined position as he crossed his arms firmly. his body began to feel a little more lighter—the one that makes your skin is prickle with goosebumps. "well… i quite like to be stylish. it's part of my charm." his stoic expression slowly cracked into a small smirk.
"mmm," ren nodded, his eyes still elsewhere despite noir's eyes turning to him. "it's a first for me. i've seen traditional wear my entire life, it's not every day you see someone dressed modernly." ren said.
trying to focus on ren's words, noir's body shivered slightly from the temperature drop. so much for wearing a sleeveless top, let alone wearing silver shields that barely gained heat under the freezing night.
ren turned to noir, noticing his shudders from the coldness. he chuckled softly, forming a small yet genuine smile. "cold, isn't it?" ren leaned slightly forward, his tone playful and hushed.
"don't… tease me." noir grumbled as his hands began to rub his upperarms in an attempt to give himself warmth.
ren chuckled lightly once more, amused by noir's silent determination to warm himself up against the cold. his eyes laid on noir's burly arms, admiring the tones and curves. goodness, ren thought. his build was quite bulky, like a greek sculpture had come to life.
"i'm not, i promise." ren's voice echoed mellowly, trying to sound sincere. yet, his cheeky smile betrayed his true feelings. it was infact, his first time being able to tease someone freely. and he enjoyed it. without the scrutiny of his father and fellow relatives, he was able to speak to noir casually. it was indeed unlike anything he has lived through in the mountains.
"you sound like you're enjoying this." noir's expression hardened at ren's impish grin. but something about his eyes gleaming from the banter captivated noir. he found it charming, seeing ren take pleasure in a conversation that seemed simple to him, yet special to the other. ren's lack of awareness to modernity suddenly made noir feel inclined to… show him the world.
"well, you should've worn something longer and warmer." ren said bluntly, though he maintained his voice steady without any mocking.
noir stayed silent, continuing the rubs that did no good for his body. the dropping temperature was taking a toll on him, evident in his trembling lips and quivering shoulders.
despite ren wanting to continue the banter, his concern for noir arised when he simply kept silent. "...you're shaking." ren tilted his head to get a better view of the man beside him.
noir shakily turned his head towards noir, his hardened expression now seemingly soft and desperate. ren was utterly taken aback by the sudden vulnerability from noir—it's like seeing an iron wall finally crumbling down.
noir's breath hitched as a thought crossed his mind. he can't cover himself up with leaves to save his life, and even if he tried to walk home, he'd probably take so much more energy than he intended. so… what if he seeks warmth in ren's arms? as ridiculous as it sounds.
"ren…" noir faltered, his tone low and fragile. his eyes softened to reveal the sense of longing in the red pools.
he knew that his next few moves were going to be a hit or miss. it's either ren giving into him, or he'd just think of him weirdly. regardless, the shudders and trembles from his body spoke enough volumes for ren to notice his desperation. ren's eyes somewhat mimicked noir's, softening to quietly open invisible arms for him. noir instantly saw it as a chance and began to lean in closer to him, eyes darting towards his thighs to hide his fluster.
ren wrapped his arms around noir, caressing his delicate, sun-kissed skin. his shroud was soft—like the clouds at dusk. he rested his cheeks onto noir's shield, unfazed by the coldness of the silver surface.
"you're… not cold?" noir looked down at ren while adjusting himself, wrapping his larger frame closely to ren.
"high altitudes where i live meant that it would be cold all year round." ren whispered, his eyes gazing back at noir.
"mmm…" noir hummed in acknowledgement. noir was about to rest his head on ren, but stopped halfway in fear of making him uncomfortable, despite ren's head already on his shoulder. he slowly retracted his head, his eyes looking away from slight embarrassment.
"you sound tired." ren pointed out noir's husky tone and slurring voice. "rest on me." he continued in a mellow and welcoming whisper.
noir looked at ren with droopy eyes and a silent but desperate plead to let him. ren nodded lightly, allowing him to go ahead. slowly, noir placed his head on top of ren's head, adjusting his position subsequently to get comfortable. noir's eyelids drooped low as he tucked ren into his arms, eventually allowing himself to drift off to sleep. ren tightened the embrace, relishing in noir's touch. the park was quiet. only the chirping sounds of crickets and their steady breathing mingled with the chilly wind.
ren had all the intention to kill off the man in his arms—but in his gentle, and loving embrace, he found unexpected solace.