The first time they meet, Kynareth's a tottering little ball of disaster aged three who talks far too much for his age and only half of its English. Grimm, a proud loner at age five and wanting nothing to do with someone younger than him, discredits his existence with a roll of lilac purple eyes and promptly ignores him. Who cares if their parents went to school together once? That didn't mean he needed to know their kid, especially when said kid yammered off in Icelandic every now and again. However, the little brunette with wide green eyes seemed persistent on following him around and trying to get his attention. Finally, Grimm submits to the younger's inquiries and decides to humor him. It would only be for a day, anyway. It wasn't until that day came to an end and the Fanacaseculs were gone that Grimm wondered when showing Kyn around was actually kind of fun instead of a burden. Later that night as he tries to fall asleep, he realizes that he actually sort of liked the kid. Kids his age didn't hang out with babies like Kyn, though, and that was that. He falls asleep and doesn't think about it again for two years.
They meet again when Kynareth is five and Grimm is seven and Kyn's family is considering moving into the neighborhood. The brunette's accent is thick (why hasn't he notice that before?) and he hasn't seemed to have adopted the same attitude Grimm had at that age. Still, the elder feigns indifference at seeing him again, but a little pleased smirk settles on his face when Kyn remembers everything from two years ago. They stay for three days this time as opposed to just one, and Grimm uses this time to show him all the best spots on the property and teaches him games that leave them an exhausted heap on the lawn at the end of the day. They go to the park once or twice and Kyn confides he's never been to one like this before. Grimm makes a note to bring him here again in the future. When they leave once more, he bothers his parents a few times to see when they might be coming back. "Soon." is all Xavier would say, but it turns out 'soon' mean another two years and a moving truck, six months after his mom dies in a car accident.
The next time, Grimm (a smart and handsome kid of nine) allows Kyn (still cute and innocent at seven) to hug him on the front lawn of the new house. He tells about how he lost his mom, how his brother Callik is still a jerk, and how the kids at school are insufferable. Kyn smiles and squeezes his waist and says "You have me." If he were any younger and still in the mindset of an immature kindergartener, he would've blown the kid off completely. Instead, he only gives a small, sad smile and says "Yeah, I guess I do."
At ten, Grimm's taken to (loudly) complaining about elementary school while Kyn, now eight and suffering the same fate, listens to every word. "Some girl tried to kiss me." Grimm remarks while lying on his back in the grass and sticks out his tongue. Kyn, laying on his back as well next to him, giggles and squirms closer to plant his lips right on Grimm's cheek. "Like that?"
"Y-Yeah."
An odd silence settles between them and Kyn hums a bit before asking "What did you do?"
Grimm, trying to ignore the sudden weird burn in his cheeks, responds by saying "I told her I didn't like girls."
"Do you like me?"
Grimm laughs incredulously at the remark. "Course I do, you're not a girl, doofus."
Days later, when he can't get the feel of the boy's lips on his cheek out of his head, he asks Kyn to meet him at the park and they find themselves in the same spot as before. Kyn does most of the talking for a few minutes before he notices the conversation is one-sided. Grimm takes the opportunity to gather his courage before he says "Hey, Kyn?"
"Yes?
"I figured out what being married is." It was an odd subject, but he was talking to Kyn a few days ago about how he thought Nala and Xavier would be getting married someday. Besides, it wasn't like he spent all of yesterday asking his classmates about the subject or anything.
"Oh?"
"It means you can't kiss anyone else or it's cheating."
Kyn giggles again, a bright a bubbly sound that makes Grimm smile against his will. "Not even your parents?"
"Nope. Also, you gotta do everything with them!"
"Really?"
Grimm fiddles with the little plastic bubble in his pocket with a laugh. "Yup, but you know what?"
"Hm?"
"I don't think I mind doing everything with you. And I don't want any girl to kiss me, soo..."
Kyn made a little noise that might have been snuffed laughter.
"Wanna get married?"
The ring was gaudy and fake, painted silver with little green rhinestones glued on that he got from a 25 cent machine. It was shabby, but the way Kyn's face lit up like he'd just been handed the whole world made it well worth it. "Yeah."
"Kynareth Fanacasecul. Fan-ah-cass-coal. Kynareth Fan-ah-cass-coal. Kin-are-e-"
"Are you making fun of my name?
"Nope. I just like saying it."
At thirteen, Kyn's a hyper little middle schooler with too-shaggy brown hair and hasn't dropped that tendency to rant in a foreign language when something gets him excited. Grimm's a high schooler now, and a freshman, and he still hates being there. He does like telling Kyn about the things he's taught in his grade just to watch his green eyes go impossibly wide in amazement. He's the only kid Grimm knows that actually /likes/ learning. He gets distracted a lot, and his face will blank completely during conversations sometimes. More than once, Grimm's had to snap his fingers in front of his face and remark "Pay attention, doofus!" until that smile is back on his face and Grimm's mind is at ease once more.
The ring has been moved to Kyn's pinky finger, but he refuses to take it off even when Grimm tells him that it'll completely cut off the blood flow in his finger and they'll have to cut it off. The brunette shakes his head and claims it's too important, and he'd be much more upset if he lost the ring than his finger.
Their first kiss happens under the little bridge that hangs over the creak as Grimm's hunting for frogs and Kyn's picking flowers. He pulls a large bullfrog from the muddy water and brandishes it with a wide grin to show his companion. Kyn's face lights up when he congratulates the boy, stepping forward peck him on the mouth. Grimm is so taken aback by the notion that his hold loosens and the frog escapes, splashing them both as it lands in the creak. They laugh even though they're wet and go back to their activities. The rest of the day Grimm tries to find an even bigger one that earns him another kiss, but it goes without avail and the two head home, shivering but full of laughter.
That little 25 cent ring is too small to fit on Kyn's finger anymore, but he keeps it on a chain around his neck at all times because he's a stubborn little ass and he likes when Grimm gives a little half smile when he looks at it. After he graduates high school, Grimm replaces that tiny little ring of fake metal with his high school ring which is a bit too thick, but fits snugly on Kyn's finger. He gives it to the now sixteen year old when they're in that park lying on their backs just like when their younger. Once Kyn has quieted down from his awed cooing and protests at taking something so expensive and meaningful, Grimm says "Hey, Kyn?"
"Yes?"
"... I know what being married means."
"You do?"
"Yeah. It means loving someone so much that you'd devote your entire life to them."
"...hm."
"And everything you do is to see them smile cause they're the most important thing in the world."
"...That sounds nice."
Kyn's soft hand slides into his, fingers lacing with Grimm's boney ones. He gives it a squeeze as he stares into the sky.
"It does."
When Kyn comes to see him one day, it's to say that he and his parents are moving back to Iceland and likely won't return. The day is spent in gloom, Grimm holding the brunette as he cried about how unfair the world was and Grimm whispering reassurances in his ear. The day the plane is due to leave, the two are standing on Kyn's front lawn racking their brains about how to stop this. Just as Kyn's about to give up, Grimm snatches his hand and says "Let's run away."
Kyn wants to ask 'Are you crazy?' but his parents are packing up the last of their belongings and he'll /never see Grimm again/ so he agrees.
It doesn't matter that there's a police report filed with their names on it, or 'Have you seen me' posters plastered all over town (which they're long gone from now), or that their parents are worried sick and left without even a goodbye. They have each other and that's enough.