Hello hoomans!

This is a short fluffy story I wrote for the greatest pairing of all time: Oz x Echo.

It happens in the same universe as my multi-chap story but you don't need to read that to read this one.

It's like an addition to the multi-chap, but more fluff, less drama and no spoilers.

You can find the story here if you are interested: s/12076924/1/Soulless

Anyway! I hope you enjoy!

\-=_=moo=_=-/

''So… Uhm… what should we… do next?'' Oz asks while looking the other way. His cheeks are tinted pink.

''I uuuuh… don't know…'' Echo replies, in almost as bad of a position as Oz, but not quite, because she was not given the responsibility to make sure they did something fun together.

They are sitting on a wooden bench in the park, staring at the smaller children playing around, climbing the mini castle, swinging around, playing in the sand.

They got kicked out of the house by Vincent, Echo's brother, because they were playing videogames too much. According to Vincent they hadn't seen the sun the entire day before, when Oz came to sleep over, and the entire morning today, which he can't deny. At 11 AM, long after breakfast, Vincent slammed open the door to Echo's room and pulled the two of them by their ears towards the door to the house. Before sending them off to the outside world he also gave Oz a special job with his adulthood on the line: making sure Echo is having fun, specifying once again that it shouldn't be his kind of fun. He still doesn't understand what that means. They both enjoy playing videogames together so that's a kind of fun for both of them, but what would his own kind of fun be like? He has no idea. It's been over a year since he came to this neighborhood after being saved from years of isolation. He was unfamiliar with the concept of ''fun'' in general until a few months after he came here, being locked up for most of his 13 years alive.

But his own kind of fun is an alien concept to Oz. How many kinds of fun can there be? Isn't fun just fun? And since fun makes someone happy, won't all kinds of fun make Echo happy as well? After a while of wracking his brains over possible kinds of fun he gives up and asks Echo. Vincent is her brother anyway, maybe he told her something about it? To add onto that she also has much more experience with the concept of fun than he does.

''Echo?'' he turns to face her.

''Yes?'' Echo meets his eyes.

They're both blushing.

At the sight of Echo's red cheeks Oz's chest starts to feel heavy. He also feels something pressing against his stomach. Could it be his heart? But that's impossible. Whatever it is, he doesn't quite like the feeling of it, but it's not something he can't handle.

He clears his throat and discards the uncomfortable feeling inside of him. Filled with determination he blurts out his somewhat naïve question.

''What does your brother mean with my kind of fun?''

Echo's head leans back an inch and she frowns a little. She quickly turns her head away, hiding her embarrassment.

''It's… it's nothing…'' she states softly, hoping it is enough to get him off her case.

''W-what do you mean it's nothing! He keeps telling me not to do that and I don't even know what it is!''

Echo hums awkwardly in a high-pitched voice, making clear that she heard him, and also try to convey that she doesn't want him to ask further.

''Come on Echo! I need to know what it is to avoid it! Don't you think so too?''

Echo hums again, stretching it out this time, showing her displeasure.

''Is it really that bad?''

Echo's breath hitches in her throat at that remark. During his persistent questioning she turned as red as a beet. She's certain Oz will laugh at her if he sees her face right now.

She refuses to respond.

''Echo?''

she hears Oz sliding over the wood. She turns away as much as she can, squishing her left leg against the bench and turning her back on Oz completely. She starts to panic.

''Why can't you just tell me!?''

She doesn't quite care that much about whether to tell him or not. Not that she will, but what is mostly on her mind right now is hiding her face from Oz. She doesn't want anyone to see her like this, especially Oz. Kids at school used to make fun of her because whenever she was nervous her entire face turned bright red. Their laughter only added fuel to the fire in her heart, causing her to get even more red if her face was still able to do so. Remembering those days bring tears to her eyes, and the strong possibility that Oz will see her in this state doesn't console her in any way.

Oz can see Echo clearly trembling in her seat. His worry gets him to get up and stand in front of her. She quickly hides her face in her hands, trying to hide it as well as she can.

Oz doesn't quite understand the reason behind that gesture.

''Echo? Are you alright?'' he puts a hand on her shoulder, softly and slowly shaking her back and forth.

Echo doesn't react.

''Echooo… Is it really that bad? Did I do it already?'' Oz frowns.

He pulls back his hand.

''N-no!...'' Echo says from behind her hands, not wanting him to feel guilty for something that isn't his fault. It's her face that's at fault.

''Then what is it?'' Oz asks again, getting slightly frustrated by Echo's stubbornness.

''eh-I…'' Echo doesn't want to say it.

''Quit hiding your face! Gilbert told me that is rude!''

''Eh?'' is the only thing she can say before Oz pulls her hands away, fully exposing her face. He sees the tears in her eyes, but it doesn't faze him.

''Echo why are you crying?'' he asks almost casually.

Echo looks deep into his eyes, which seem indifferent to the sight before them.

"You.. M-my face, you can see my face..." Echo almost whispers with a sad tone.

Oz tilts his head in curiosity.

"Well yeah. What are you trying to say? Am I not allowed to see your face? "

"N-no! That's not it!" Echo denies instantly.

"Then what is it! Stop being so vague!"

Echo looks down at Oz's feet. A small smile grows on her face. Of course Oz wouldn't care. He has probably seen her like this before anyway. Why does she even try to hide it? Maybe it's just because they're alone in a park... She looks back at Oz and gestures him to sit next to her by patting the bench. As Oz sits down, hoping to finally get an answer, Echo wipes away her tears. She turns back around to face Oz with a beaming smile.

"Say Oz, do you really want to know what Vincent means with your kind of fun?"

"Yes! I need to know! He's so-"

Echo launches herself towards him, putting her lips against his, pulling him closer by the collar of his grey t-shirt.

Oz doesn't get the time to react, nor does he have the will to do so. All he does is awkwardly raise his elbows besides him and look at her closed eyes with his wide ones. He holds his breath.

Her lips are soft, wet and soft, warm and…

soft…

They are the softest lips he has ever felt with his own in his life. They feel nice.

So soft…

After a while, which Oz finds to be too short, Echo finally let's go of his collar and pulls back, leaving Oz in the state of shock she put him in the moment she kissed him. His lips are parted and he keeps staring into her eyes. Echo simply smiles back. After processing for a moment what exactly just happened Oz starts blushing fiercely. He quickly turns the other way.

"I.. I get it now.. " he says in a small and raspy voice. hiding his face with a fist.

"The fun or about my face?" Echo teases.

"Both. " Oz mumbles.

Echo giggles audibly, finding Oz's reaction cute.

After a minute of listening to it Oz starts to pout.

"Cut it out already! Let's go! " he stands up and pulls Echo up by an arm.

"Where are we going?" she asks, still laughing a little.

"To my place!"

"Why? Didn't brother say we had to go outside?"

"we've been outside long enough! I've had enough of it!" Oz is dragging her along, walking at a fast pace.

"Then why not come back to my place? Your things are still there."

"No way!"

"Why not?"

''I don't want to die!''

\-=_=moo=_=-/