Disclaimer: Not ours!
Warnings: shounen-ai, slight OOC-ness, major fluff
Pairing: Yoh x Ren
By: Skweeshy and Sayama Xiah
Roles:
Asakura Yoh: Skweeshy
Tao Ren: Sayama Xiah
x-
It was cold that night-- and Tao Ren, was the only one awake, and staring at the stars, like his daily routine.
The cold had always added to Yoh's laziness, but then, the warmth wasn't much better. Tonight's chill was a biting one though, and it had quite the opposite affect. Sleep wasn't coming easy.
The stars had always been calming. They helped clear his mind, and made him relax. He hadn't expected to see Ren outside too, but since when was he the only one with sleeping problems?
Ren didn't notice Yoh from the corner of his eye, and he still insisted on ignoring Yoh; until he came into the brighter side.
"You can't sleep either? It's too cold for me." Yoh said cheerily, sitting beside Ren.
"Its not because of the cold-- Asakura." Ren crossed his arms across his chest, and huffed slightly.
"You're not cold?" Yoh asked in bewilderment. "But it's freezing out here!" As if to emphasize his point, Yoh shivered, rubbings his hands up and down his forearms.
He looked over at Yoh, who was feverishly rubbing his hands up and down his forearms, "I suppose I am a little cold. But that doesn't matter."
"Well, if you're not awake because of the cold... why are you still up?" Yoh's tone was innocently curious as he stared up at the stars above him.
"Why else would you be awake then?" The younger of the two glared at Yoh from his stupidity,
"That's none of your concern."
"But the only reason I'm awake is because it's cold," Yoh replied, sounding slightly hurt. "And you're my friend, Ren. That makes your concerns my concerns."
"No, it doesn't, Yoh. You only want to help me, but there's nothing more you can do to help anyone." He turned away from the pondering Asakura, still with that guilty feeling that tore at his heart.
"But I..." Yoh paused, trying to find away to answer while still hiding his hurt. Ren's words were tearing him apart from inside out. "I want to help you because you're a good person. And because you're a good person, you're my friend."
Ren never realized that his own--- cold words could hurt Yoh like this. Too bad, he sensed the hurt in Yoh's voice; that soft and calm voice that he always adored.
"...Sorry."
"Sorry?" Yoh repeated, feeling an ear-to-ear grin spread across his face. "Don't be sorry Ren. It's ok." Happiness replaced the previous hurt in his voice. "Coming from you, I don't mind."
"I.. I'm only apologizing, because I never meant to hurt you." He turned to stare at Yoh, and basically losing himself into those dark orbs.
"Ren..." For a moment, Yoh was speechless. It wasn't like Ren to apologize, but then, it wasn't like him to get upset either. He hadn't meant for this to happen -- for him to fall in love with the Chinese shaman. "It's ok. I know."
Even after apologizing, Tao Ren wasn't getting anywhere away from square one. Out of the year they've been friends, Ren never expected to feel this way about Yoh-- in his entire life.
"...But--- is it really okay?"
"Of course Ren." Yoh was still smiling, but he looked away from the stars to watch Ren. "I wouldn't say it was if I didn't mean it."
"You always say things that actually mean something to me." He walked closer to Yoh, and tightly embraced him, brushing his cheek against Yoh's own.
Yoh squeaked, feeling his face grow warm at the soft feel of Ren's cheek on his face. Swallowing back any embarrassment, Yoh leaned into Ren's arms. "Ren..." His voice was a murmur now, low and quiet.
Ren could feel his cheeks coloring in embarrassment, "Hm?" He clamped his eyes shut, while still holding the other shaman.
"I'm warm now." Yoh said simply. "You always act so cold, but you're really warm. ...Arigatou, Ren."
It was most unlikely that Yoh would say that he was warm because of Ren.
Still, they would have never gotten this far.. without each other. "...Why are you thanking me?"
"Because. I learn a lot from you. I learned how to love unconditionally." Yoh's words were laced with bitter-ness. He had to tell Ren -- but he didn't want to. He was afraid that Ren may not feel that way about him. And yet, in Ren's warm embrace, Yoh felt peaceful. Almost as if he was floating, his worries leaving him. In the end, it would all work out. That was
"Of course. I've learned so much from you. You forced me know that all humans were not bad-- and that I was not the only shaman needed."
He could sense the feeling, and dearly wanted to tell Yoh; but there's something that prevented him from saying so.
As if--- Yoh didn't feel the same way.
"You were right. You're the only shaman needed -- for me anyways." Yoh took a deep breath. He could feel his stomach tightening with the unusual feeling of nervousness. Why were confessions so hard? "See, Ren I..." Another deep breath. Things were hard. "I... I love you."
Those three simple words had been finally said--- after this whole time. 'I...I love you.' had passed through one ear and out the other. There were still traces of his blush left; as he looked up, Ren's eyes were filled with shock.
"You... you what?"
"I love you." Yoh repeated, feeling his face heat up and his stomach twist itself into knots. "You're... the most important person in my life." Yoh paused, then hurried on, a burning feeling in his eyes. Ren had sounded surprised when he'd asked Yoh what he'd said. Too surprised. The sting of rejection hurt. "But...if you don't feel the same way then that's OK because it's only to be expected right? I'm being stupid... aren't I?"
"No... you're not being stupid. You're important to me, too."
His golden mirrors were staring back at Yoh's dark eyes. He was no longer scared to finally say: "Wo Ai Ni.. Yoh."
Yoh was frozen with shock. The threatening tears that had been welling up in his eyes danced precariously in his eyes before spilling lightly over his cheeks.
"Ren..." Happiness.
There was no room for anything else in Yoh's soul other then love and happiness, as he wormed out of Ren's embrace. On an eye level with the younger shaman, Yoh let himself smile through his tears, before kissing Ren softly on the lips.
Ren's pride wasn't being torn away anymore. He was brave enough to tell Yoh that he loved him.
Feeling Yoh's lips clamp around his own, his cheeks were furiously turning red, and Ren, finally kissed back.
Yoh pulled away from Ren, his own cheeks a matching crimson colour, coldness long forgotten.
"Arigatou, Ren." Yoh whispered, repeating his earlier words. "For loving me... Arigatou."
Ren smiled slightly, before burying his head in Yoh's shoulder, and hugging him again, "You're welcome."
Yoh wrapped his arms around Ren, mimicking him and resting his head on Ren's shoulder.
"I'm glad I couldn't sleep tonight."
Ren closed his eyes for a brief moment, then they finally opened. "I'm glad I'm with you."
"I'm glad you're with me too. I... wouldn't want it any other way." Yoh whispered. "So don't move. I want to stay here forever."
So--- they weren't going anywhere. At an eye level, Ren gently kissed Yoh again, hesitantly curious.
"As do I."
"It'd be nice if we could. But tomorrow... with have to continue on with everything normally again. As if... this never happened. Don't we?" Yoh asked, silently praying that Ren would say they didn't need to hide things from their friends.
"Its most likely they're going to find out. Like you always say; Everything will be fine," Ren quietly said, his eyes boaring into Yoh's dark ones.
"Ok." Yoh responded, a grin on his face. "Then no secrets!"
Ren smirked, "Of course there's no secrets. They're going to find out anyways." Ren entwined their fingers together in one hand, before smiling slightly.
"Good." The characteristic grin was still plastered on his face. "Then let's go to sleep now. If we're too tired tomorrow they'll assume things." With that, Yoh stood, pulling Ren to his feet, and lead them back inside.
Ren would always follow Yoh; everywhere he would go to. He never leave his side, as his rival and lover.
"Wrong. They'll know because of my goddamn shyness." Ren frowned for a minute, then smirked, as usual. He let Yoh pull him along, to where everyone rested.
"Teehee. Ren's shy, eh?" Yoh giggled softly to himself in the darkness.
"Stupid! Of course I'm shy! Most technically around you, dammit." Ren growled, his eyes looking from left to right.
"That makes it all the more cuter when you are shy. I guess I don't mind you being shy then. It makes you cuter." Yoh said, tugging Ren along as he slid back under his covers. "You're sleeping here too Ren."
Ren twitched, "Quit it," his cheeks were coloring in embarrassment again. After being drawn underneath the covers with the older shaman, Ren became calm and wrapped his arms around the elder one.
"But it's fun to tease you Ren." Yoh's tone was a joking one, as he let his eyes shut. "You're even cuter when you blush."
"Well, Yoh, its embarrassing. Stop." Ren closed his eyes, and tightened his grip a little, before calming down.
"Alright." Yoh agreed, shutting his eyes. He was tired, and with Ren, the problem of being cold was eliminated. "Good night, Ren."
He could only smile a little, "Oyasumi.. koi."
OwariXD Lots of fluff. We definately had fun Rping this.