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Sam had been just chilling against a tree, thinking he was alone. Little did he know, Ren had been watching him for the past few minutes. He had been smirking the entire time at Sam and was about to pounce from the tree he was in just to annoy Sam a bit.
“You know, for someone who’s prides himself to be a professional at these games, you’re remarkably easy to sneak up on,” Ren said, their voice ringing out clearly as they finally leaped from the branch. They landed with a soft thud, barely making a sound on the damp earth, and stood with a triumphant grin. He walked up To Sam and just popped on his lap. Sam sighed and rolled his eyes.
“I’m not easy to sneak up on,” Sam protested, though he didn’t make any move to push Ren off his lap. He leaned back against the rough bark of the tree, the physical weight of his partner a familiar and grounding presence. “I was practicing mindfulness. You just happened to be the loudest thing in the forest.”
Ren let out a delighted cackle, the sound echoing through the quiet glade. They leaned back, resting their weight against Sam’s chest, looking up at the canopy of interlocking leaves. The purple tones in Ren's hair caught the filtered sunlight, shimmering like a bruise on a piece of silk. For a few minutes, they just existed there in the stillness, the only sound being the distant call of a bird and the rhythmic breathing of two people who had known each other long enough to forget where one’s personal space ended and the other's began.
"Heh... Loud. Then how come you didn't hear me?" Ren asked while leaning against Sam with a smirk. "I was practically a ghost. A very fashionable, purple-haired ghost."
Sam let out a small, defeated laugh and finally wrapped his arms around Ren’s waist, pulling them closer into the crook of his chest. "You’re a menace. That’s all you are. A menace who thinks they're a ninja." Ren chuckled again and kissed Sam's cheek before nuzzling him.
"A ninja? Please," Ren murmured, their voice muffled against Sam’s chest. "Ninjas are far too disciplined. I’m more of a chaotic neutral rogue with a penchant for dramatic entrances."
Sam chuckled, the vibration humming through his ribs. He tightened his grip slightly, savoring the quiet of the forest before the inevitable storm of Ren’s energy picked up again. For a while, the only movement was the slow drift of pollen in the air and the occasional shift of Ren’s weight as they tried to get even more comfortable, effectively treating Sam like a piece of high-end furniture.
They both just sat there now, sharing this moment away from everyone else, though the silence was eventually broken by a sudden, sharp memory in Ren’s mind. Ren shifted, their head popping up from Sam's chest with a look of sudden realization. They grinned with the most mischievous thought.
“Wait,” Ren whispered, their eyes widening with a spark of sudden inspiration. “The old creek bed. The one with the limestone in it? I bet there are crawfish in there right now, just waiting for a silent ninja jester’ to come and evict them.”
Sam groaned, though he didn't let go. “Ren, we’ve been here for twenty minutes. Can we not just enjoy the time we have alone together?" He had a tight grip on her. "I don't want to go wading in a creek-"
"I'll be shirtless." Ren stated with a sly grin as Sam now paused his protest. "Think about it, Sam. The sun is actually out for once, the water is going to be freezing, and you’re going to be the one who has to rescue me when I inevitably slip on a mossy rock."
Sam sighed, though the corners of his mouth were twitching upward. He knew he was defeated the moment Ren mentioned the limestone creek; they had a shared history of "quick adventures" that invariably ended with both of them soaked to the bone and laughing until their ribs ached. He let go of Ren's waist and leaned back, looking up at the canopy. "You're a menace. A genuine, chaotic menace."
They did eventually get up to go to the creek. Sam couldn't resist the thought of seeing Ren without a shirt again. Oh well, at least they'll both have fun.