Crono: x.x; How patient do you expect me to be!

Kino: Ehehe....^_^;

Yaoiboy: Juuuust hold that pose. *takes naughty photos*

Disclaimer: Nooo, I don't own Crono Trigger. If I did, the sequel would be called Crono Trigger 2, and Crono would be naked on the case. ^_^
Standing in the strange subterranean room, with the moonlight shining in from far above tinting the room blue and casting twinkles in the glass along the walls, Crono found it hard to believe he wasn't hallucinating. Kino's naked rise from the steaming spring did nothing to confirm reality.

There he was, everything Crono had ever wanted, dripping wet and wearing the most endearing expression. What had the speechless red-head planned to say? He couldn't remember. His mind was a jumble of bare limbs and water-beaded flesh. He felt the familiar rush of heat bloom in his cheeks, and groin, as his eyes fell upon the shadowed area that had ever been an enticing bulge; now all was revealed. Crono was very impressed.

"Crono...?"

Does he always have to sound so...so innocent!? the boy thought. Kino's query echoed softly, the childlike curiousity of it adding to the everpresent attraction. What could Crono say? He'd followed Kino here thinking that his feelings would make themselves known on their own, somehow crossing the barrier of misunderstanding between them. The endearingly confused expression on the blonde boy's face made it apparent that this would not happen. If Kino did not realize that glistining, naked body was currently the reason that Crono's pants felt three sizes too small, then he would never divine just how attracted Crono was to him, and the nature of that attraction.

"Why Crono follow Kino? Crono...no like Kino..."

The laugh burst from him before he could stop it, but the mortified look on Kino's face was enough to cut it short. Of course, Crono was laughing at the irony of the situation. But how could Kino know that?

If only I could explain how wrong he is! Crono thought. But how do I say it...so that he understands?

The water splashed violently as Kino turned his back to the red head who stood their stupidly, unable to do more than stare. Crono managed the beggining of a sound before his mind was siezed by the sight of Kino's back side. The chisled back, no doubt as tanned as the front of him, appeared a luminescent white in the moonlight. Crono followed the shadowy dip between the shoulder blades, his eyes climbing down the faint impression of the Kino's spine, to the exquisite curve of his lower back, and then...

Geez...I'm gunna pass out! the boy thought, his heart hammering in his chest.

Kino's bottom was even more wonderful than Crono had gathered from the brief peeks he'd seen in the jungle on the way there. Each cheek was a flawless mound of grabbable, squeezable, lickable flesh. The muscles were as firm as anywhere else on the body, with a shallow indentation on either side, giving the impression that they were clenched. It made Crono wonder how tight Kino must be.

Gah, I don't even have the right to look at him this way, do I? Crono asked himself. No..., he thought, and the excitement that had been mounting was undercut by the thought of how he'd hurt Kino just moments ago.

He then realized things that had escaped his notice before. Like, for instance, the tears that had stood in those fathomless blue eyes before the boy turned away, or the sag to his shoulders now that he had, and the tell-tale quakes of crying that wracking his youthful form and sent ripples across the hot spring. Hadn't Crono come here to apologize to Kino? His lips tingled remembering the kiss that he had ruined, and the laugh that he had uttered.A sick feeling rose in his stomach.

I managed to hurt him again, he thought dismally.

"I...I'm sorry Kino," he said finally. "I'm so sorry..."

Now it was his turn to look away, and fight against his own tears. He had lost his chance, he knew. His apology seemed worthless even as it left his lips, and to make matters worse, all the eloquent words he could think of to plead his case, and pledge his feelings, were just as worthless. Kino would never understand.
Crono...sorry?

Kino didn't get it. He wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his still wet hand, before turning once again to face Crono. It was easier to try and read his expression than to understand what he was saying. Of course, Kino knew what "sorry" meant, but it was only something people said when they'd done a bad thing.

Crono no do bad thing. Kino do bad thing, he thought.

Without preamble, he stepped from the water and strode up behind Crono. He had every intent to tap him on the shoulder at first, but somewhere on the way between the water and where he stood, a recurring thought held him for a moment in contemplation. He stood indecisive, a mere foot from Crono's back, thinking that it had not felt bad to kiss Crono. It had not felt bad at all. When had stolen Crono's things earlier that day, it felt bad, and he was sorry for it.

Kino not feel bad now...he thought. Kino...not sorry.

His thoughts seemed to loop in circles then, confusing him even further by the moment. Standing so near to Crono, smelling the pleasant scent the boy exuded, Kino felt the same strange feelings well up inside of him again. It tingled in his chest when he looked at the bare skin at the nape of Crono's neck, and the closer he got, the more felt the feeling travel through him, and it was very acute between his legs. He found himself wanting to kiss Crono again, and it didn't feel like a bad thing at all...but Crono had not been happy about it. Crono had laughed at him even. How could Kino feel so close to Crono, if Crono didn't feel close to him? Why was Crono sorry?

Kino not know! he thought, sighing heavily, and leaning his chin on Crono's shoulder, he sighed again. Without really thinking much about it, he wrapped his arms around Crono's waist to steady himself, and rested his front against Crono's back.
Crono felt Kino's arms wrap about his waist just as the boy spoke softly into his ear, immediately slowing his tears. The action was tremendously exciting to Crono, but not meant to be he knew.

"Kino not know...why Crono sorry." He sighed another exasperated sigh. "Kino...confused, but...Kino like Crono..."

First and foremost, Crono was increasingly aware of the nude, wet body pressed against the length of his back, dampening his clothes. It was as if his skin had becom hyper sensitive, registering each point of contact with a sort of burning, tingling sensation. No doubt this was in direct relation to his elation. It seemed that Kino's moods, though much more lowkey, could change as sporadically as Ayla's. Or maybe it wasn't sporadic at all. May Crono just couldn't follow their prehistoric thought patterns.

The young swordsman kept his head hung when he spoke, afraid that moving at all would somehow remove the circle of pressure about his waist, or the soft rise and fall of Kino's chest against his back.

"I like you too, Kino...alot. That...that is why I'm sorry...because I hurt you, even though I like you so much." He sighed. "Do you understand?"

There was a long silence, during which their breathing fell into a shared rhythm, Crono noticed the throbbing of Kino's heart.He almost had a heart attack when he realized there was something hard poking the seat of his pants.

"Crono not mad at Kino?," the boy asked finally, in what sounded like disbelief.

"No...No, not at all."

"But...Kino kiss..." The words trailed off, and Kino shifted a bit. Now Crono felt the length of what could only be one thing pressed to his bottom. That heart attack seemed unavoidable now.

"I-I," he stuttered, the sensation slowly driving him crazy. "I liked it...The kiss, I liked the kiss..."

Another pause. Crono felt the crotch of his pants would explode soon, but Kino couldn't possibly know what he was doing to the boy just by hugging him this way.

"Crono...What is "I"?"

"Huh?" Crono was totally thrown off.

"Is 'I' Crono?"

Oh! Crono thought, realizing Kino was asking something Ayla had never bothered to try and figure out. How to explain...

"'I' is...whoever says it," Crono said, amazed at his own ability to muddle his words.

"..."

Gah! Come on, something simple...ah.

"'I'...is Crono, when Crono says 'I'" he said, thankful Lucca wasn't around to hear this. "And 'I' is Kino, when Kino says 'I'..."

"..."

Oh geez. Crono sighed, cursing the language barrier.

"Crono..."

"Yeah, Kino?"

"Can...I...kiss Crono again?"

Crono wondered if the smile that exploded onto his face was permanent, because he didn't think the happiness he felt in that instant could ever go away.