Work Text:
Nathaniel Kurtsberg was in the art room at school. It was almost the end of the day but there were still a few students left doing other things before going home.
Marc was still in the building too, but he was busy looking for some books in the library. So while he waited for his boyfriend, Nath was working on the art for their latest comic.
As he drew, Nath's head snapped to the door as he heard someone walk in.
"Hi Kagami!" the red-headed artist greeted her cheerfully.
The Japanese girl smiled as she walked over and sat down next to him at the table.
The two had become good friends through their passions for drawing and/or painting. They loved sharing their pieces with each other, exchanging ideas, while offering constructive criticism. Plus, Kagami's love for manga helped in offering Nath plenty of inspiration for his comic art.
"Hello Nathaniel. How is your latest comic coming along?" she asked as she sat down, glancing at the art work on the table.
"Great. I'm about halfway done, then it'll be ready for printing. Marc and I are so excited!" Nath said, barely containing his joy.
"That's great. I can't wait to read it."
"What about you? Any new water-colors? I love those."
"I actually just finished one of Ondine and Kim," she said, pulling a folder from her bag. She opened it on the table and pulled out the portrait. "What do you think?" she asked, holding it up for her friend to take a good look at it.
"It's beautiful," he said honestly.
In the portrait, the boy and girl were holding hands and it looked like they were underwater. Kagami loved drawing/painting people honestly and this definitely felt like them.
Kagami smiled at the compliment before putting it back in the folder. "I'm going to give it to them tomorrow. It's to celebrate them finally having their first kiss yesterday."
Nath stared for a moment, a bit surprised. "Really? They've only just had their first kiss?"
"Yes. And now Kim can't seem to stop," Kagami replied with a giggle.
She was happy for him and Ondine, but it was a bit awkward when Kim finally kissed her and then just kept doing it again and again right in front of her and the rest of their girl group.
"Well, good for them," he nodded, chuckling too.
"That's actually why I'm here," Kagami continued, facing him. Nath put his pencil down and turned in his seat to face her. "Before, the other girls and I were trying to get Kim to kiss Ondine all day. One of the things we tried was my suggestion of using biscuit sticks. Do you know what those are?"
Nath paused for a moment to think. "I think I've heard of them. They're like a Japanese cookie treat?" he asked.
"That's right. Have you even tried them?"
"I don't think so," Nath shrugged. He heard they were good and that they came in a variety of different flavors. "But how were they supposed to help Kim kiss Ondine?" he asked.
"In Japan, biscuit sticks are the sweetheart's cookie. They are meant to be shared by two people. One person bites one end of the stick, then their partner bites the opposite end at the same time, and then they both nibble the cookie, making it shorter and shorter, until their lips finally touch," she explained. "It's like a kissing game."
Nath blushed as he listened attentively, fascinated by this treat and the game it's meant for. "Oh, cool. It's like the kiss scene from Lady and the Tramp, but with a biscuit stick instead of spaghetti," he said with a chuckle. "So…did it work?"
"Sadly no. But Kim and Ondine got there eventually," she stated. "Anyway, even though it didn't work for them, the other girls got very intrigued after I introduced them to the biscuit sticks and how to share them with their partners. So I went and got them their own boxes of biscuit sticks so they could try it too."
"That was nice of you."
Kagami put her art folder back in her bag and then dug around in it for something else. "And of course, while I was getting enough boxes for all of them, I knew I couldn't leave you out." From her bag, she pulled out a box of biscuit sticks and held it out to her friend. "So this box is for you and Marc."
Nath stared at the box and smiled. "Wow," he said as he took it. How thoughtful. "Thanks Kagami."
"You're welcome," she replied before standing up. "I have to get going. I hope you enjoy them like the rest of our couple friends. You remember how to share them?"
"Yeah, I remember," Nath told her. She was very specific with the instructions. "Thanks again."
The two shared goodbyes and Kagami left the art room.
Nath stared down at the box, excited and a bit anxious. Would he and Marc enjoy playing this little game of eating cookies and kissing? All their other friends and their boyfriends and/or girlfriends apparently did.
Anxious to try it, Nath pulled out his phone and texted his boyfriend to meet him in the gardening shed on the roof of the school. A few seconds later, he got a reply back that he could meet him there in five minutes.
Even more anxious, Nath collected his things and left the art room, heading for the roof.
~*Miraculous*~
Nath stood on the farthest end of the shed from the door. There was no one else on the roof so hopefully no one would interrupt them.
True, the art room had been vacant but there were still a few people left in the building. So anyone, like Kagami had, could still walk in at any time and see them.
Nath was still shy and so was Marc sometimes, so the privacy of the empty roof was best.
Barely a few minutes later, his dark haired, green-eyed comic writer boyfriend came in.
"Hey," Marc smiled, closing the door behind him.
"Hey," Nath echoed with a similar smile. "Come here."
Marc walked over, curious and a bit anxious of why Nath had invited him up there. He had been worried that something might be wrong, but upon seeing his artist boyfriend, he didn't look upset or angry, so nothing must be wrong. So he was now anxious in a good way.
He was always up for some privacy. Wink, wink.
The two boyfriends hugged before Nath guided Marc to sit with him on the floor, against the back wall of the shed.
"What are we doing in here?" Marc asked, sitting to Nath's right.
"I have something for you. Well…for us," Nath said, still excited. Nath turned to his bag, took out the box of treats, and showed them to his boyfriend.
"What are these?" Marc asked curiously, taking the box to look at it closer. He didn't recognize the art or brand on the box.
"They're Japanese biscuit sticks. Kagami gave them to me," Nath said. "We're gonna share them."
Marc looked back at Nath was smiled. He dragged him up here to share a snack? Well, alright then. "Aww, that's sweet of you. I'd love to try one." Marc was about to open the box when Nath snatched it from his hand.
"Ah-ah-ah," he said quickly. "When she gave them to me, she also told me how sweethearts are supposed to share them." Nath opened the box himself and took one stick out. Then he turned back to Marc. "Basically, we're supposed to nibble from opposite ends of the same stick until our lips touch," he explained, holding the stick up between them.
Marc stared from the cookie to his boyfriend, a deep blush coming over his face.
"You mean like in Lady and the Tramp?" he asked, his voice a bit bashful but giddy.
So…a snack and kisses? Even better.
"Exactly," Nath replied. Nath turned the stick horizontally between them and grinned. "You wanna try?"
Marc bit his lip and looked away for a moment, then he leaned in and grabbed the closest end of the stick with his mouth and held it between his lips as Nath let it go. Nath stared at him for a moment, butterflies in his stomach.
Marc was so adorable.
Finally, Nath leaned in and bit his end of the stick, keeping it supported on his bottom lip at the same time. Then Marc bit his end, making the stick shorter.
Nath bit again. Marc bit again.
Their eyes stayed locked with each nibble as their faces grew closer and closer together.
Before they knew it, the stick was barely a centimeter long, making their lips just a breath away. They both moved in to consume the last piece of the cookie, and in doing so, their lips finally met.
It was a sweet but brief smooch. Both boys giggled into the kiss. For their first time attempting the game, it delighted them both.
They both pulled back. Marc chewed and swallowed, having gotten the last piece of the biscuit stick to eat himself.
"Those things are…really yummy," he said, bashful again. He and Nath had kissed many times before, but this new way was fun. Just like Lady and the Tramp, but with chocolate biscuit sticks, which were really good.
"Yeah," Nath agreed. He saw the appeal Kagami and their other friends saw in consuming these things with their romantic partners. "You want another one?" he asked Marc, hopefully.
"Absolutely," he replied without hesitation.
Very eagerly, Nath took another stick out of the box, held one end between his lips, and turned back to Marc, allowing him to bite first.
Marc eagerly leaned in and bit the stick. Nath bit, then Marc, then Nath again, then Marc again, and the two kissed when the cookie was gone.
Nath got another stick and they did it again.
And again.
And again.
Another biscuit stick. Nibble, nibble. And another kiss.
It was too much fun to stop so easily. Biscuit sticks were tasty and the kissing at the end just made sharing them all the better.
However, after many kisses following consuming many sticks later, when Nath reached into the box again, he saw that it was empty.
"Shoot," the red-head uttered, sad as he looked down into the empty box. "Looks like we ate them all." That meant they couldn't play anymore.
Marc was a bit disappointed too but just shrugged. "Oh well," he said. It was their own fault for getting carried away with the game. But they had their fun.
But Nath seemed the most dismayed. Kagami just gave him the box and they were all gone so soon. And he and Marc were really enjoying themselves.
"I could ask Kagami where we can buy more of these if you-"
Nath was cut off as Marc cupped the side of his face and turned his head towards him, then locked his lips with his. Nath quickly kissed him back, his eyes fluttering shut. The empty box he let fall from his hand as he raised it up to caress the side of Marc's neck. This kiss was deeper and lasted longer than the ones they had shared using the biscuit sticks.
Marc pulled back and held Nath's face close to his.
"I'd like that. But I still like kissing you without them," the dark-haired boy told his boyfriend honestly.
Nath grinned. "So do I," he said before leaning in to kiss Marc again. Marc happily pulled him closer and kissed him back.
They liked the biscuit sticks, but they doubted they'd be as sweet without a kiss from their sweetheart afterwards.
That must be why the game was meant for sweethearts, and why biscuit sticks were so popular with them.