A/N: Why hello all! A small departure from my usual fandom, but don't worry, my other story will continue on (if only for a few more chapters).
"You seriously suck at this."
"And you're not helping at all…"
"I know."
Yuri always knew, but this didn't stop him from poking fun at the blonde that sat in front of the couch, eyes completely glued to the TV. The raven haired male had stretched himself out on the rather wore out piece of furniture, watching as one Flynn Scifo failed time and time again to get through a single level of Halo 3 without repeating it due to being shot, usually in head (snipers were a bitch). If the game didn't have some horrible obnoxious female lead that always got together with the main protagonist in the end, then Flynn sucked at it. If there wasn't a deep plot that took over one hundred hours to just get to the middle of it, then Flynn sucked at it. If there was not at least one mage, healer, swordsmen/women, archer, and maybe a thief in the game as a playable class, then Flynn sucked at it. That was the way things had always been, and by the looks it things, continue to be. It was amusing as all hell, though Yuri wasn't exactly there to watch his friend fail at some shooting game.
He hated to admit it, but something was eating away at him, irritating the poor raven haired male to the point where his mind just could not focus on anything to save his life. That was pretty terrible considering the fact that he had been in this state during college exam week, the one time during his college years that he actually decided to buckle down and become serious about his studies. The blonde always found it humorous when he saw him studying so hard, mainly because Yuri was the kind of person to wing everything and hope for the best results. There was nothing wrong with that, right? Of course not. But because his friend constantly worried about his 'academic performance', he was continuously nagged about studying on a regular basis.
Nothing had changed all that much throughout the year the two of them had known one another, and he was rather grateful for his fact…though thankfully he had gotten over crying when frustrated. That was how they met, with him trying to hold back tears (and failing) after getting into a fight was a few older boys. He wasn't crying because his body had taken a substantial amount of damage and he couldn't take it, oh no, he could take the pain, even at ten…what annoyed him was that he was once again called a 'girl' because of his hair. For God's sake it wasn't even that long! It came a little past his shoulder, sure, but that did not mean he looked like a girl! Yuri got into at least two fights a week because of this, and it seriously made him contemplate chopping most of it off. His mother said there was no reason for such an act, that he looked 'handsome' with long hair, but she wasn't the one who had to deal with the bullshit remarks others made about it.
So he sat behind the school with a pair of scissors…he was going to do what his mother couldn't. He was already ten…he should've been able to make his own decisions. But this didn't help the sobs he began to emit; Yuri liked his hair, liked the fact that it was long and liked the fact that he was one of few boys in school who actually had such length. But it would grow back…it would grow back…that's what he told himself over and over again, try his best to ease the sobs that seemed never-ending. God, why wouldn't they stop? Upon hearing something break under the weight of some kind of force the raven haired male's head snapped in that direction, finding that he was no longer alone. The other person was doing a pretty poor job of hiding around the corner, so much so that the raven haired boy felt a few of his sobs turn into small chuckles.
Yuri, being the straight forward person he was, ordered the person to show themselves or he would 'drag them out by the hair'. That seemed to do the trick. He hadn't really expected to be greeted with the new kid that had started school the previous week…what was his name again? Flan? Yuri liked flan…though he was sure he wouldn't like this one since he'd been peeping. Wiping his eyes he demanded a reason such an intrusion of privacy (even if he was out in the open), trying his best to sound tough in the process…but found it rather because his voice tremble with every word. Silence was all he received, along with the nervous shuffles of feet. He was going to be shy, eh…it was already too late for that. Before the raven haired male could even spit out another demand, Flan told him that he 'shouldn't cut his hair' since it 'looked nice'.
He stared at him, mouth wanting to say something but his mind refusing any kind of coherent sentence to be formed. Was he joking? If so he was about to meet Yuri's famous right hook, the very one that sent a few boys to the nurse's office the previous day. Quickly getting up he walked over to the other male, grabbing the front of his shirt and pretty much yelling in his face that he was a 'liar'. He was probably sent there by the older boys to mess with him…Flan didn't look frightened; he did look surprised for a quick second before sending a glare in his direction, pushing darker haired male away as he yelled right back that he was only trying to do something nice. It was when the raven haired male heard 'you're an ass' that he lost it, the two of them tussling on the ground for a good five minutes before one of the teachers found them, dragging them to the principal's office once they had been pulled apart.
They were told to wait outside the office, sitting in uncomfortable chairs that had been there probably before either of them was born. He was irritated as all hell with the person sitting next to him, but he had to admit…the blonde seemed to have the upper hand in the fight, something that had never happened to Yuri before. He was always top dog, the one who bested everyone who dare make fun of him…but it truly did look like he would've been the one to be beaten if not for the teacher's interference. Looking over at the other every now and then, the raven haired male decided that the silence between them was becoming unbearable. He asked, in a rather small voice at that, if what Flan had said was true, to which he was quickly corrected that his name was Flynn not Flan. That sounded better…The blonde looked at him for a moment before turning away, a small nod being the only response he received. Pride was a very hard thing for him to swallow, but he did so and gave the other male a small 'I'm sorry' before sinking down in his seat a little.
Upon feeling a hand on the top of head, he tensed for a few second, but all of it melted instantly when he heard a small 'accepted' come from the other. Looking over he saw that the blonde was smiling, and honestly it was the first time another male had actually smiled at him (other than adults of course). Giving him the same treatment he couldn't help but feel a strange heat come from his chest, and even if he didn't know what it meant he was sure it was something profound. From that point on the two of them were pretty much inseparable, and it also wasn't until a year later that he found out what that feeling was…it was the warmth from actually making his first friend.
"Sniper."
"Huh? Where- GAH!" Flynn yelled, once again getting his character shot in the head because he was so unaware of his surroundings.
"You really, really suck-"
"I know!"
Was he being mean? Yes. Could he have helped him instead of looking like a cat perched on a windowsill? Oh hell yes. But that meant taking his entertainment away, and at the moment he needed such a diversion so that his thoughts could to get themselves together. He really couldn't think straight…This would've marked the second time in his life that the blonde had made him feel like…hell, he knew what it was but he couldn't name it just yet. That wasn't to say he didn't know the name of what he was feeling, oh did he know…which was much better than the first time he felt such a thing. High school sucked…what sucked more than high school? Going through high school and watching your best friend date.
Flynn had shitty taste in woman, or it was better put that Yuri knew the girls he picked out were shitty. All of them were shallow as hell, only going after the blonde because of his looks rather then the fact that he genuinely had a great personality. But no…he could tell by the way they clung to him, by the way they nipped at his ear and left marks on his neck…they were up to no good. The raven haired male would freely admit that he was cock-blocker, and he'd also admit that he was rather good at it. How good? He knew, all the time, when he needed to get his ass up and rush to Flynn's place to stop the whore from taking his friend's virginity. Of course the blonde never minded, always allowed him in as he tried his best to get his disheveled state together. Yuri had a one hundred percent success rate, but there was one girl who he thought would truly make that rate do down.
Sodia…
God, just her name left a bad taste in his mouth. She didn't like him, at all, and made sure he knew this whenever the two of them were in the same room. She'd glare at him, tried to shoo him away and at one point tried to physically drag him outside because he was 'getting in the way'. Sodia was a crafty bitch…since she never did such things when Flynn was around, so Yuri sounded and looked like a liar whenever he told him that she was crazy, or just a flat out bitch. She was trying to turn his best friend against him. How could he not hate her? It became so bad that the raven haired male had to spend a month away from Flynn because he couldn't tolerate her any longer, and when asked just why by said friend he merely lied and said he was 'focusing on his studies'. A horrible lie, he knew, but it was the only thing he could come up with.
The moment he thought his friendship between him and Flynn had ended was the moment he decided to end his self-imposed exile, starting with a phone call. It took him a good ten minutes of just staring at his phone before he actually dialing the blonde's phone number, almost afraid to do so. He had reason to be afraid…because the worst possible thing had happened…Sodia picked up the blonde's cell. Yuri lied in his bed, shocked, as he heard that whore's voice say that Flynn was 'busy' and wouldn't be taking calls for the next hour. A click was all he heard afterward, and there was such an unexplainable feeling welling up in his cheat that it…hurt. He was hurt…and he wasn't even sure why. The next day he pretty much planned on avoiding the blonde at all cost, because he was sure if he saw him the two of them would get into a argument which would leave to a fight (it was Friday and Yuri didn't want detention).
But Flynn didn't come in…
That was pretty goddamn shocking given the fact that his friend had never missed a day of school in his life, hauling his ass in even when he had a temperature. It just didn't sit well with the raven haired male, so much so that he skipped third period to find out what the problem was. He was hesitant of course, not knowing if Sodia was the cause of the blonde's sudden absence or if there was some other problem going. Honestly he was hoping for the latter option, since he was sure he'd throw some kind of fit in that whore had done something to Flynn. She had totally screwed things up between the two of them, something the raven haired male never wanted to happen because of the promise they had made years ago. They weren't supposed to be separated…but then again back in childhood he had no idea what kind of place the world truly was, how it could break the bond between two people without a second thought. That's what becoming an adult was about…accepting that things changed and not selfishly trying to hold onto the things one could no longer have. But if that was the case Yuri wanted to be selfish for the rest of his life…he wanted to stay with Flynn.
He once again hesitated as he stood on front of the blonde's house, wondering briefly if he was emotionally ready for whatever was going to happen. After that thought had process in his head…he slapped himself. He was Yuri goddamn Lowell! He did not care if he was 'emotionally ready' for something, he just did it, charging in first and asking question later! What the hell had happened to him? Shaking his head he tried to rid himself of whatever was holding him back, knowing that he was acting like an idiot. Knocking rather hard against the door Yuri waited…and waited…and waited a little more. Was he asleep? There as only one way to find out…When the front door was no longer an option, Flynn's window did just fine. Since there was tree right next to it, it made access fairly easy, though when smaller the raven haired boy learned that climbing a tree wasn't all that easy the first few times. Breaking his arm sucked, but from there he had learned where to and not to step to get into the other male's room.
Climbing up, he perched himself on the tree limb closest to the window, balancing himself as he began to open it. The blonde never locked it since Yuri had requested it, and it made entry much easier especially when the weather was bad. Slipping into his room the raven haired male instantly walked over to the bed, finding it hard to ignore the rather large mass in the center. Sitting on the edge he asked why his friend hadn't attended school, and after a few seconds of silence he was given a small 'I needed to think'. Strangely enough…that didn't sound like a lie. Lying back directly on the other, Yuri announced that he was going to 'think' along with him, asking if it was alright with 'Master Sodia'. There was a small chuckle from under the blanket, causing the raven haired male to lift up one of the side of the blanket and crawl under with the other.
This was nothing special; when the two of them were younger they shared the same bed often, never finding it awkward or wrong. Because beating around the bush would only piss him off, Yuri asked how last night was for Flynn, hating that he could in no way hide the disgust in his voice. With a heavy sigh the blonde admitted that nothing had gone on between him and Sodia, and he also admitted that the two of them started to actually commit the act but before the clothes came off she said something that pissed him off. This lead to a heated argument between the two of them, and in the end he kicked her out as he broke up with her. It was probably wrong for the raven haired male to feel giddy, but to know that the blonde and that whore were no longer together made him want to cheer. His excitement lead to ask just what Sodia has said to get him that pissed off, and Yuri's expression instantly softened once he heard. She had asked him to ditch his best friend…
If anything after that point their bond only grew.
"You bought this game just to screw with me, didn't you…?" The blonde said as he paused the game and looked over his shoulder, irritation clearing written on his face.
"Maybe just a little…But hey, getting shot in the head it much better than being mutilated by zombies, right?" Yuri said as a smirk spread across his lips, knowing full well that no matter how irritated Flynn got at the game he wouldn't stop playing it for a good while. Why? Because the raven haired male had given it to him as a 'gift', and not wanting to be rude of course Flynn played it.
"You're evil."
And he went right back to it. Yawning a little as he stretched, Yuri was becoming bored, though not so bored that he felt like leaving. He had a mission to take care of, and now that his mind had finally settled he thought it was time to get his quest started. Changing his position on the couch, the raven haired male lied down so that he was directly behind Flynn's head. Reaching over he began to run his fingers through his golden lock, making the other male tense up for a few seconds before relaxing.
"What are you doing?" He asked, never once turning away from the screen.
"Nothing." Yuri said as bluntly as possible, slowly moving his hand from the blonde's hair down to his neck. He heard the other male sigh, as if accepting the fact that 'nothing' was happening to him. He wouldn't be thinking that for long.
Propping his upper half up Yuri slumped against the other male, chin resting on the top of his head while his arms dangled over his shoulders. Flynn didn't move…which meant he was ignore him. The blonde was very good at drowning out his surrounding; making it so he focused on one thing and one thing only. This is where the raven haired male's ulterior motive for buy the game came in…of course he thought the blonde's gaming collection could've been a little more diverse, but Yuri actually wanted to see if he could suck all of friend's attention away from the screen. That was just mission one…mission two, the secret mission, well…that would've been a little harder to pull off…only because he was sure he'd come off sounding like an idiot if he didn't say the 'right' thing.
Removing himself from Flynn's body, he slipped off the couch and sat next to him…and then collapsing onto his lap. He heard an 'oof' emit from the blonde, but other than that there was no indication that his mission was a success. So Yuri just needed to try harder, that's all there was to it. And try harder he did…Lifting up his friend's shirt he crawled under, getting as much of himself under the white cloth as he could. That did the trick.
"Jesus, Yuri! What the hell are you doing?" Flynn yelled, and judging by the loud 'thud' the raven haired male was sure he had dropped the controller. In the best 'innocent' voice he could muster up, he said that he was merely 'cold' and that he didn't feel like going all the way to his room to get a blanket. That wasn't a complete lie seeing as how the A/C was on full blast, and since he was wearing nothing more than a black tank-top and yellow shorts, yes, he was cold to a certain degree.
Yuri could feel the other male's heat, could hear his steady heartbeat as his chest rose and fell as he breathed. Oh god…the raven haired male was slowly started to regret his actions, because he was so goddamn close to the other male. Why didn't he ever think things through…? The blonde's skin had always been soft, and as his cheek pressed against it his own chest began to tighten. He squirmed awkwardly, knowing that escape was impossible since he was sure the Flynn would pull him right back and demand an explanation. Basically Yuri had trapped himself…dammit all to hell. Only Flynn could make his body so hot and bothered, only Flynn…and he knew the reason why.
"Are you okay? You're been acting weird all afternoon…"
No…no he was not okay! Something was eating away at him, and he was sure he'd explode if he didn't get it out. Yuri needed to speak and quickly, because the longer he drew out the situation the more his chest would throb. Slowly he removed himself from underneath the other's shirt (which irked him slightly since it was so comfortable), and stared directly into the other male's eyes…something that was much harder to keep up than he had originally planned. The blonde stared right back at him, those azure orbs piercing his dark mocha ones. They were…fascinating, hypnotic even. But as much as he would've loved nothing more than to get lost in those beautiful pools, he couldn't…just not at that moment.
"I…" Yuri started, trying his best sound a serious as possible, "…like you…a lot."
"Oh…I like you too."
Ugh…this was going to be so much harder than the raven haired male had wanted it to be…
"No dammit! When I say 'like' I mean…god, this is so-"
"Yuri-"
"Shut up for a minute! I have to say this, even if you hate me afterward-"
"Yuri-!"
"Flynn-!"
"I know exactly what you mean, and I don't hate you for it. Because I-"
Yuri pretty much blocked out everything after that point, brain receiving too much information at once. It needed to process that small sentence the blonde had just said. 'I know exactly what you mean'…So he knew the raven haired male was acting like a schoolgirl with a crush, and could not for the life of him allow the word 'love' to leave his mouth? It was sad, he knew, but it wasn't his fault for not knowing until later in life that the emotion he felt towards the one person he would willing put all of his faith, time, and attention into was love. How was he supposed to know that he was in love with the one person he never wanted to part with? Okay…so the signs were there, he was just too goddamn oblivious to notice them.
And then there was the 'I don't hate you for it'…that made him feel so much better. The last thing he wanted was for his confession (if one could call it that) to strain their relationship, ultimately leading a distance between the two of them that was so unwanted. Of course he had other friends, other people he could've hung out and spent time with, but…it wasn't the same. The blonde just…well, he made him feel in high spirits no matter where he was. Losing Flynn was like losing a part of himself, and as cheesy as that sounded it was truly the best way for him to explain it.
As for the last piece of what the blonde had said…oh shit, he hadn't heard it.
"Are you listening to me? Since, you know…I'm practically pouring my heart out…" Flynn said, a look of slight disappointment crossing his face.
"S-Sorry, could you give me the short version…?" He said, nervously running his finger through his long locks.
He didn't expect the other to place his hand on his lower back, didn't expect him to press their bodies together, and obviously had not even fathomed the idea of his lips brushing against his in such a delicate way that it almost tickled. It truly wasn't a kiss until the blonde leaned in a little more, making his lips completely attach to his. Yuri first reaction was to stiffen, completely taken aback by the action…but when he finally came to his senses he pretty much relaxed into it. The raven haired male felt at ease, as if it was completely natural for the two of them to be doing such a thing. When he felt the other male's hand cup his cheek, stroking it gently with his thumb, a small moan escaped his throat. It felt good…almost too good, and the fear that everything was nothing more than a dream began to make itself known. As quickly as the blonde's lips were there, they had disappeared, leaving Yuri with a slightly cold feeling. That feeling alone made the raven haired male known that what he was experience was no dream.
"That's the short version…" Flynn said as he pressed his forehead against the other male's, smiling as he did so.
"A-Ah…" Was all Yuri could get out, his slightly dazed state preventing him from forming any kind of lucid sentence. He knew without doubt that he was blushing hard, because he could feel the heat all the way to his ears.
God, he was acting like such a girl! Yuri Lowell blushing? Unheard of! Yuri Lowell burying his face in his friend's chest to hide said blush? Embarrassing…But it was alright…because it was Flynn who was seeing him in such a vulnerable state. However this didn't stop the embarrassment factor that still loomed over him! Even if it was the blonde…he still hated himself for being so goddamn open.
"Yuri, are you okay? Your ears are all red." The blonde said, a small chuckle escaping him.
"Shut up! You know exactly why I'm like this you ass!" Yuri groaned, knowing that the other male was simply trying to provoke him further. And it was working…
He heard Flynn ask if he could see his face, and of course he responded with a loud 'HELL NO!', but he knew deep down that blonde haired bastard would get what he wanted. Even Flynn, who would constantly nag the living daylights out of him, could be bratty. He was proven right when the next thing he knew he was looking up at the other male, arms above his head as he was completely pinned under the other male. Dammit, he seriously needed to pay attention. Struggling was out of the question, because in the past he had never managed to get himself free from the blonde's grip whenever he had him in some kind of hold. Yuri had lost…fuck. The raven haired male could barely look at the other, and the only thing he could do was turn his head in defeat.
"You don't look bad."
"You're making fun of me…"
"I'm not. I think it looks cute on you."
"Now you're really making fun of me!"
God someone kill him now! This was just too much…all he had wanted to do was confess and get on with his day, but no, some unseen power had decided to screw around with him. He was being pinned down by his friend (though he probably could've dropped that term since his feelings were shared), face completely red and he was completely unable to hide it from the world. This was true vulnerability. He watched as the blonde came in closer, using that delicate touch of his to brush his lips against his right cheek before kissing it. Flynn apologized for his light teasing, admitting that it was only due to the overwhelming delight he felt. Yeah…Yuri could understand that. Feeling the grip on his wrist begin to ease up, the raven haired male slowly allowed himself to relax…before promptly punched the blonde square in the jaw.
"Look! I'm not a girl, so if you keep that 'cute' stuff up I'm beat the crap out of you! Got it?"
"Of course…my cute Princess Yuri."
Somebody had a death wish…but hey, there was no greater death than getting killed by the one you loved.
"YOU'RE SO DEAD!"