. T O . B A C K
(based on a tumblr promt, "Love me")
Ryuu took a deep breath to inhale the early summer air. It smelled of fresh grass and flowers and birds and everything he loved. Summer was great.
He sat in the shadows of an old tree, away from the ever growing strength of the sun, back to his best friend. In fact, Io's back supported his, and vice versa.
The pink haired boy played around on his phone, surfing the net to the familiar sounds of Io's notebook keyboard. After so many years, the clicking and clacking had become a background noise almost as natural as the songs of the birds or rustling leaves.
He kind of liked it, it was almost rhythmically. If keyboards make musical sounds instead of clack-clack, Io might have composed a song or two by long.
In fact, Ryuu could not even really remember for how long his friend had already been doing this. He knew Io for so long, and it had been years ever since he had showed interest in the stock market. Ryuu had never asked, never complained, never wondered. As long as Io was there, just like had always been, everything was alright.
Sitting back to back, supporting each other on lazy days like these, this was what they had been doing ever since.
Everything was perfect.
Well, almost. There was one little thing missing right now, Ryuu thought.
He saw how his phone lit up with a new message from a girl he couldn't remember the face of, contemplated on it for a moment, but then put it away into the grass next to him.
He rocked is body against Io's slightly, trying to get the other's attention.
His friend took a moment to react, but in the end, he did.
"What is it, Ryuu?"
The teenager poked his friend with his finger in the back a little.
"Nothing really… Except, you know… wanna kiss?"
"Hm…" Io leaned back, pushing Ryuu forward a little. He laid the back of his head on his friend's shoulder, facing the green roof above them. "It's a little hard like this, isn't it?"
Ryuu pushed himself back into his initial position, balancing the two of them out a little more. He too threw back his head to meet Io's, pink hair brushing over his face. It was a slightly awkward position like this, but at least they did not have to break out of their most comfortable setup. After all, they had been sitting like this for years after years, but it had only been a few weeks since they had started kissing from time to time.
Everything was still new.
And what was worse, Ryuu had no idea what these kisses meant to Io. Or to himself, really.
They felt nice and right and all, but Io had never really lost a word on the subject. It had been Ryuu who had shyly initiated this practice, asked for the first kiss. Just for fun, he had said. Just to try if it's different with a guy, he had argued.
And to his surprise, it was indeed different – it was better. Ryuu was not sure if this was the case because Io was a boy or because Io was Io.
In any case, they both had come to like it.
The pink haired boy felt the weight pressing to his back and shoulder disappear.
Io closed his laptop and turned around some more into a useful position. Their faces met.
"You know that I'm not going to make any profit the time this will take us, right?"
Ryuu grinned at his friend. He had him exactly where he wanted him to be. "Sure, but you're not making any losses either."
It seemed like Io contemplated on this statement for a second, then he sighed a little and smiled.
"Guess you're right…"
They kissed.
It was great.
The summer warmth, the wind dancing through the trees and grass and hair and clothes, the birds, Io's lips on his – it could hardly get any better.
Well, except, perhaps…
But Ryuu shouldn't think about this, he found. When they drew apart again, he looked into his friend's eyes, noticed his fine, long lashes. Had Io always had them? He couldn't remember. Maybe he had never looked at his friend's face so closely.
They had never been that close. Maybe it was too close already.
He wanted to kiss again.
Quickly, before Io could turn back again, Ryuu placed another small one on the other one's lips. He grinned, then one more followed, this time on his nose.
"Hey, Ryuu, stop, you're overdoing it…"
Io didn't sound like he wouldn't like it. The pink haired tried for more, which made Io laugh for some reason. Maybe his face was ticklish, Ryuu had never tried that before.
He wanted even more, but Io gently pushed him away.
"That's enough for now. It spoils the fun when you're doing it too often."
When he turned around again, Ryuu thought he had seen Io blushing, or maybe it was just a normal reaction from the tickling kisses.
Yes, that was probably it, Io surely wouldn't blush because of this. He never had, after all.
Or had he?
Ryuu, in fact, was.
When he turned back into his initial position as well, back to back with his best friend, he noticed how fast his heart was beating. Maybe this was not only out of happiness, because of how good the kisses had felt.
Perhaps there was more to it. Ryuu had been thinking about this for a while now.
But he couldn't tell Io. He had to keep up his name, both of their reputations, and the way their relationship was now had already reached dangerous levels.
But even despite that, he couldn't help but wanting more, wishing to be even closer.
He felt his back against Io's back, the way it had always been, ever since he could remember.
It was better if they went on like usual. This was how it was alright.
Everything was perfect.
Almost.