Chapter Text
Ren Zotto has ways to show affection that confuses Kyo's little human heart. And most importantly, makes him worry for his own safety.
Because it was so random, Ren’s actions confused Kyo deeply.
It wasn't... intimate, nor was it sorrowful, like it sometimes was. It was just...
Okay, they WERE close. Kyo could admit that easily. They were squeezed in a corner of Aster's room, watching their friends play together, and Kyo was so close to Ren that he could feel him breathing.
Inhale and Exhale, all of that.
Kyo could physically feel his little chuckles instead of just hearing them. And, if Ren were sitting like a normal person instead of just slouching on the beanbags, Kyo was sure that he'd be touching much more than just a knee to his thigh, an elbow to his shoulders.
Still, that was just... Physical closeness. There wasn't anything unspoken going on and, with the way things rolled, he doubted Ren would be able to do anything without announcing it first.
That's the way Kyo thought. Maybe that would explain why his heart almost crawled out of his mouth when Ren sat up suddenly, but that's neither here nor there.
Ren sat up and moved closer to him, but there was nothing especially incriminating about him. He wasn't smiling but Kyo knew that he was happy, with wrinkles on his eyes and a little lazy, like he was satisfied— like some kind of goal has been met.
The sight relaxed Kyo, for reasons that he wasn't quite ready to indulge in.
He could understand the most, probably— the happiness of just sitting back and watching the people around you talk. It wasn't an 'I love people' thing like it probably was for Ren, but just...
Kyo could do this now. He didn't need to be connected to anything, and he could be wherever he wanted, with whoever he wanted.
Although it made him dizzy and a little sick in the head, the thought of it was comforting.
Kyo wasn't sure if... That's what Ren had in mind. Sure, he has learned the guy was a lot more thoughtful than a murderous alien usually is— not that he has met any other. It was just difficult to know what he was thinking in moments like this, when he was quiet, and soft, and fond — something that brought goosebumps to Kyo's arms every time he saw it reflected in Ren's eyes, swimming peacefully in the blue.
So, with the foundation laid out, Kyo tried to explain to himself something that his heart could not.
Ren sat up on the beanbag. The weight shift made Kyo sag into it and wonder how the both of them had fit into it in the first place. Now, with most of his legs on the floor, Ren turned to Kyo, sleepy and happy and fulfilled. Kyo felt a little tug in his heartstrings.
If he thought hard enough about it, he'd realise that most of their interactions somehow led to this. This... tensionless silence, and the staring, like there was something beyond the clock ticking in Ren's brain.
Kyo looked away first to fix himself in the beanbag. Pushing the sides so that it would become a flatter surface, he tried sitting up and straightening his back but was rudely interrupted by a hand. This hand, that was mischievous and gentle, covered the entire left side of his waist when grabbing Kyo and pulling him down like he was a doll made out of cotton.
Kyo half gasped and squeaked, something instinctual that made his ears flush. And after his heart dislodged back into place, he glared at the culprit and tried to kick him.
Ren, like the self-satisfied bastard that he was, was smiling this small little happy thing. He blocked Kyo's kick easily and held him by the thigh so that he would not try it again. Kyo tried again, of course. With his knee this time. However, as this was at the same time that Ren was moving closer to him, it only helped by putting one of his legs in the middle of Ren's, entangling himself to him.
Kyo paled as he looked up and was met with a grinning Ren, who was using both of his hands to hold him securely by the hips.
“I think you miscalculated this one, Kyo.” Ren told him, whispered and soft, like something meant for Kyo only.
The thought did wonders to piss Kyo off, actually.
He tried to crawl his way out of the man-made confinement, frowning a little when Ren chuckled, and almost succeeded.
Almost being a keyword.
Because, now, sideways on the beanbag, he didn't even realize that Ren was holding his weight so he could try harder. He didn't see the smile Ren had on while he watched and, most importantly, he didn't think that Ren could simply pull him back to his startpoint.
If Kyo was any less dignified, he'd start crying. Even more with the way Ren was full on giggling now, saying his name breathlessly like he wanted to tell him something but the laugh didn't let him.
Ren was leaning over him now, still holding him by the sides, tickling Kyo in the chin with his bangs.
Kyo sighed and admitted defeat to himself.
It wasn't like they never play-fought like this. There were times where Kyo could kick him hard enough, could pull him just right so that he'd wobble, could smother him with a pillow and have him giggling under himself, asking for forgiveness.
So that, still, wasn't the weird part. The physical closeness. Kyo had gotten used to being close to Ren.
However! Whatever look that he had in his eyes was a different story.
Ren sighed heavily after he stopped laughing and raised his eyes to Kyo.
Kyo could never for the life of him understand the way Ren's expression would practically melt when he looked at Kyo like this. It was disorienting, to say the least, and Kyo could not put a name to it.
So, whatever nameless emotion that had taken hold of Ren's alien heart made him lean even closer to Kyo, in that gentle way of his.
Kyo couldn't even think about pushing him away. Not because he didn't want to but because there was something about him, about his look, his grin, about the melancholic way Ren's bangs covered his eyes that didn't let Kyo move.
He breathed in and stared as Ren moved closer, like a pet dog trying to burrow in for warmth.
Kyo could only breathe heavily when Ren moved his hand from his waist to his back, mapping the way the muscles jerked with the gentle palm’s touch.
He wasn't surprised to hear a heart thumping and discover that it was not his own. Long gone was the tensionless silence and with it, Kyo could hear the way Ren gulped, how he exhaled like it was difficult.
For many reasons that Kyo couldn't bring himself to list, he let Ren lean closer and rest his forehead against his cheek, hugging him properly.
Kyo had no clue what the fuck was going on. All that he could do was bring his hands to Ren's chest and feel the rabbit-fast thumps against his palm.
And, as if that wasn't weird enough, Kyo felt himself relaxing in the embrace. He closed his eyes and breathed in Ren's scent, that warmth that he didn't usually have covering his chest like a blanket.
That would have been fine. Kyo could forget about this and live the rest of his life not remembering what it is like to be hugged by Ren Zotto.
He could not, however, forget the way he exhaled nervously in his jaw, nosed around the back of his ear and... Bit down!
Ren bit him! Not strong enough to hurt, nor strong enough to mark, but just enough that Kyo knew it was a bite.
Kyo gasped and pushed at Ren's chest.
His nape was tingling now, with the feeling of Ren's warm and soft lips, with the shiver his sharp canines caused when he dragged them on his neck.
Ren leaned away easily with Kyo's push and... There it was, that look.
Kyo didn't usually think about it too hard but now, the look in Ren's eyes made him flush until his neck.
Usually, he would stare and frown when Ren caressed him in the waist like that but now, he trembled like jelly and widened his eyes.
Ren blinked slowly at him, sighed, and moved away, leaving Kyo alone on the beanbag to go play with their friends.
Kyo stared at the ceiling, confused as all hell.
Did he... Did he just have the urge to bite my neck off?! To kill me?!
Kyo clearly did not understand Ren's intentions.