Work Text:
Fourteen took a clump of grass in his fist and tugged it from the earth, humming a tune to himself as he flung it into the air behind him. The night air was cold and it stung his skin, but he didn’t mind. He’d adapted to survive the coldest nights, having been locked up outside for so many years and spending his nights out in the freezing cold.
The creature beside him—some kind of sentient skateboard, he didn’t know—looked up at him curiously, then turned and silently rolled away.
Fourteen sighed. There goes my only friend.
Really, he had no friends at all. He was stuck here with Fifteen and the Zeroes, and all of them despised him. Maybe it was the ugly way he looked, or the greasy stench that he carried, or just his mischievous intent—he didn’t know—but for whatever reason, everyone hated him.
His head rose at the sudden sound of nearby chatter. Voices could be heard not too far away—and familiar ones, too. But there was only one voice that Fourteen cared to listen to.
He could almost feel the old twinkle in his eyes reignite.
Is that…Ten?
Almost bursting with excitement, he sat up from his place in the grass and started heading toward the sound.
Ten said goodbye to Six, Seven, Eight and Five as they left their friends’ neighborhood and started toward their own residence. It’d been so long since they’d even been on this planet, but somehow, they still remembered the way home.
It was peaceful tonight. The sun had set and the wind was now cold, but despite his condition (his clothes were a bit torn, and his jacket was lost, but that was okay), some part of him still felt warm. It was nice to be back on his home planet.
The glow of Fifteen’s cabin’s lights could be seen through the trees, and Ten felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him; he hadn’t seen that sight in a long time. He considered stopping by to say hello, but shook his head and continued walking. I’ll do it in the morning. They need their sleep.
But before he could pass the property, a familiar voice caught his attention.
“Ten?”
Ten turned toward the sound to see someone standing not far from the fence. Their hair was wildly tangled, and their head was tilted with curiosity.
“Uh…” Ten fidgeted with his hands, uncomfortable. “Who..who are you?”
The unknown person took a step closer. “Do you really not remember me?”
Moonlight shone through the branches of the pine trees and lit up the mystery person. Now that their colors were visible, Ten could see traces of green.
He gasped, tensing up.
“…Fourteen?”
Fourteen smiled; that smile that he always did, with all of his sharp teeth. “Yeah, it’s me.”
Ten wanted to run as Fourteen started walking toward him—he knew that he should have; he remembered Fourteen’s gory reputation—but he stayed still, frozen with fear.
“How’s life been, outside of here?” An insanely sharp claw came up to Ten’s face and pricked him.
“Uh-I-It’s been good..”
Fourteen giggled to himself—it sounded so familiar; just like how he always used to laugh—and his hands came up to cup both sides of Ten’s face, claws poking at his cheeks. He stayed frozen with fear, staring at Fourteen wide-eyed.
“You’re still perfect,” Fourteen mumbled, bringing his face dangerously close. “…Still look tasty as ever. You look like a treat.” He licked his lips.
“Ah-uh-really…?” Ten chuckled nervously. “A-actually, I haven’t showered in days! I assumed that I looked horrible!!”
“You never look horrible,” Fourteen replied blankly, still examining Ten’s face. “You look lovely, actually. I wish that I had your pretty face.”
Ten felt his cheeks fill with warmth at the comment. “…Oh…Well, uh, thank you, I guess..”
Ten was suddenly brought back to his memories of him and Fourteen; of how much tension had occurred between the two. They remembered the way that Fourteen bit them, the way that he held them, the way that he kissed them. The two had kissed before, hadn’t they? Surely they were much younger then, and much more immature—but Ten remembered the moment almost fondly, even if it had only happened once.
Suddenly, they saw Fourteen differently.
“We used to be friends, didn’t we, Tenny?” Fourteen smiled again, displaying his sharp teeth.
“Uhh, not..not really,” Ten mumbled.
Fourteen tilted his head, leaning closer. “Then what was all the stuff we did together? You really think that we were just acquaintances?” He laughed again, and a part of Ten thought that they loved to hear it.
Fourteen’s face seemed to light up, and Ten guessed that he’d recalled something special.
“We’ve kissed before, haven’t we?” He exclaimed, his smile widening.
Ten felt himself blushing intensely. “Uh-Well-I-“
“We have! We totally have!” Fourteen laughed, delighted. “Math, I can remember that moment like it was yesterday!”
Fourteen inched slightly closer, and he pulled Ten’s face toward him. The way that he looked at Ten made them feel like they were melting.
He breathed heavily, and it touched Ten’s lips. “Can we do it again?” He breathed, his face relaxing. “Y’know, as a..a welcome-back gift? It’ll be quick, I just-“
Without thinking about what they were doing, Ten leaned forward and his lips collided with Fourteen’s in a passionate embrace. The feeling of his lips was familiar and satisfying, and Ten couldn’t get enough of it. They wrapped their arms around Fourteen’s waist, and the little noise that he produced encouraged them to continue. Ten’s tongue snaked into Fourteen’s mouth, and they backed him up against Fifteen’s fence, leaning further into the kiss.
After about a minute, Ten pulled away, and a string of saliva kept them connected to Fourteen’s mouth. The other integer smiled and laughed with his delight. Under the light of the moon, Ten thought that he looked lovely.
He chuckled softly, placing a hand on Ten’s face, and gave them a warm smile.
“Welcome home, Tenny.”