A/N: This first story was inspired by the official art of the childhood manga (see this fanfic's cover). Enjoy!
Rose buds: A confession of Love
Yuri closed his eyes and breathed in the mingling scents of rice omelets and campfire, listening to the laughter and lively chatter behind the trailer. In the distance there was the howling of an owl, the chirping of crickets in the bushes, the rustling of leaves as a breeze danced through the trees. Flynn's back against his, basking in comfortable silence under the stars like they used to so many years ago, he took a bite of an apple and tasted its sweetness with a pleased sigh – there truly was no better dessert than the bliss of vacation.
Sore from a day of travel, he stretched and was suddenly overtaken by an urgent, childish whim. With a grin, Yuri leaned even further against Flynn's back, far enough for him to tense and groan in protest.
"Stop that."
"Oh no, gravity is increasing on me!" he lamented dramatically.
"No, it's not! Get off me!"
"Is too!" Yuri didn't try to hide the snicker in his voice. "The same thing happened yesterday!"
"Yuri!" Flynn started to push back, laughing as they tried to overpower each other, until Yuri suddenly dodged to the side and Flynn fell backwards with a startled shout. They knuckled down to a wrestling match among grass and flowers as if no time at all had passed since they were children, too busy throwing punches at each other to mind the rest of the world.
Tousled hair and beaming, Flynn managed to pin Yuri down and looked at him with a smile Yuri found himself thinking he'd missed for far too long. For minutes they remained still and panting for breath, silently watching each other. It was an odd silence, not quite uncomfortable yet thick with anticipation – for what, Yuri did not know. What he least expected was for Flynn to lean down, slowly, until they were so close he could feel his breath tickle his cheek. The blue of his eyes had never shone so bright, a depth to his expression Yuri wasn't familiar with.
It was over in less than a split second, so quick he'd barely even felt it, but still it had been enough for Yuri's mind to register Flynn's lips dropping on his own. For several missed heartbeats he failed to understand what had just happened, the ghost of this fleeting kiss a warm tingle on his lips. Flynn, wide-eyed and frozen in place, only just seemed to grasp the meaning of his gesture as an alien sensation took over his usually composed features.
"I- I-" Flynn stuttered, pushing himself off Yuri as quickly as if he had been stung. "Sorry, I- I don't know what came over me, I-" His voice quivered, helpless and quiet. "I'm so sorry."
Yuri was at a loss. He pushed himself on his elbows as his mind ran miles to catch up with a situation he'd never even considered, let alone tried to make sense of. Silence stretched over the two of them again, heavy and tense this time. There were too many thoughts and none at all, his tongue lead and his brain cotton. Flynn wouldn't meet his eyes as though he was looking for an escape instead, and yet Yuri felt strangely calm, if not for the stupor that numbed his body into complete stillness.
For years he'd never felt as safe and comfortable with anyone as he did with Flynn, always within arm's reach, always there in his mind somewhere – sometimes hidden so very deep, sometimes all he could think about. He walked his path strong and steadfast knowing they carried a little of each other wherever life took them, knowing their friendship withstood the greatest woes and the fiercest storms. Nothing compared to that, yet suddenly Yuri brutally realized there was indeed a boundary, one so ridiculously small that somehow made all the difference. 'Friendship' seemed shattered, 'family' wouldn't quite cut it.
Never before he'd had to think twice about it, but now it was as if he suffocated from the pressure of coming up with a clear definition, there and then, or else…Yuri preferred to ignore the sudden tightening of his heart. A question and an answer that try as he might he didn't know how to reach hung in the air, mocking him, and it was infuriating.
Words and overthinking were no friends of his, and Flynn still hadn't looked up from the ground, and the world seemed so out of balance that it made Yuri's fingers itch. Taking action was his domain, and he'd be damned if he threw out that principle out the window as well. With a deep, almost cleansing breath, he sat upright and reached for his best friend's shoulder. Flynn startled but wouldn't meet his eyes. Dammit, look at me.
Yuri took Flynn's face in his hands so he had no choice but to look up. There was guilt in his eyes, like a child who knew he'd made a huge mistake, twinged with fear and surprise. He looked so young, younger than he gave himself out to be out on the battlefield wearing armor heavier than he weighed. Yuri studied him for several minutes as curiosity kept him from releasing his face, now so close again they were mere inches apart. Flynn didn't push him away, however lost he was.
"What-"
"Shut up." Yuri whispered sharply, his heart racing for it tried to figure out the unfathomable. Holding Flynn this close felt like a key to solving this mystery. "I just…need to…" he trailed off, losing the thought instantly. His body ached as if there were a terrible, hollow emptiness inside. He was more aware of Flynn than he had ever been of anything or anyone else, of the bright shine of blue beneath half-closed lids, of the shadow of faint stubble across his jaw where he hadn't shaved—and more than anything else of his mouth, the crescent shape of it, the slight dent in the center of his bottom lip. When he leaned in to close the gap and brushed his lips over Flynn's as if under a spell, it was like puzzle pieces fitting together perfectly.
Yuri forgot all about time and drove his entire focus to these enticing lips, tension melting away to the feeling of Flynn's hands on his hip and in his hair, careful and gentle. Tasteless and yet far sweeter than any fruit, Yuri allowed himself to fall into the kiss, no longer quite so surprised that this was happening, that he wanted it so badly. Desire surged through him and seared his body, when suddenly Flynn's hands gripped his shoulders and pushed him back, eyes downcast as he held Yuri at bay.
"Can we…?"
It was a quiet, breathless whisper, but enough for Yuri to make up his mind. He nudged Flynn's chin up with his thumb, and when his lips parted with a sharp intake of breath he caught them in another kiss, quick and light this time but more than clear for an answer. "I just did." he smirked.
Flynn sighed. "Of all people, it had to be the most stubborn idiot there is."
"Takes one to know one."
"We don't even have the slightest idea where this is headed."
"Then we'll figure it out. Eventually."
Yuri felt Flynn's laughter on his cheek rather than heard it. "You have an answer to everything, don't you?"
With a playful shove to his shoulder Yuri lifted a hand to reach for Flynn's, and almost immediately they entwined as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Small, glowing fireflies appeared through the grass blades and swirled around in the dark, flying up and up in the warm summer night. Yuri watched them dance with a smile. There would be bumps and bruises on the road, but as surely as stars sparkled in the sky and rose buds blossomed in spring, he knew they'd be walking hand in hand, for their hearts long belonged to each other.