Chapter Text
Idia’s sure that the whole campus knows about how much of a lame shut-in loser he is. And, as he’s sure they also know, lame shut-in losers like him are more often than not extremely inexperienced in the field of romance.
But, really, how can they be so sure? It’s not like they know that Idia’s spent hundreds of hours playing romantic visual novels, so he’s sure that he’s at least familiar with certain aspects of romance! But nooo, apparently that doesn't count because it’s fictional.
Regardless, that’s just an elongated way of saying one thing; which is that, even at his age, Idia hadn’t even had his first kiss yet.
Though, really, that’s basically impossible because he hasn’t even been in a relationship yet – nor has he ever had an actual crush on someone and tried to pursue them, either. And he’s sure that’s something normies judge him for, especially since most other students have typically already had their first girlfriends by his age.
But, think about it, how can he? Being responsible for someone else’s happiness, having to spend most of your free time with someone instead of being in your room all day gaming, even the pressure of buying gifts for them during every little event and milestone – it’s all just too much for Idia to handle! Just thinking about it runs a shiver down his spine.
Nonetheless, he has to admit that it’s at least a little bit – no, massively embarrassing that he hasn’t had his first kiss yet. And what makes it worse is that he’s a housewarden! Isn’t it the most embarrassing thing in the world to know that your housewarden is a maidenless incel?!
The thought of it’s been drilled into his head for the longest time now, so when he suddenly hears one day during a nice, peaceful day of shouting and taunting in the Board Game clubroom that a fellow housewarden also hasn’t had his first kiss yet, well–
“Are you serious?!”
In front of him, his aforementioned fellow housewarden, Azul, simply seethes, “Hey! Be quiet! And close your jaw, it’s practically on the floor!” He moves closer to Idia, scooching his own chair over to his clubmate’s. “Besides, don’t act so surprised– you act like you’ve had yours as well!” he whispers violently, a frown settling on his face.
Idia really has no idea how their conversation got to this topic. But, nonetheless, his shock remains.
“You? You? Azul, the charming, swindling GOAT of Octavinelle?” Idia whispers back in disbelief, “Dude, I thought you’d be the type to have girls lining up at your door just to see you! How can you, of all people, not have had your first kiss yet?”
Around them, the other club members murmur and whisper while they look at the pair. When Azul snaps his neck around to look at them, they cease their talking and hurriedly go back to playing their board games.
Looking back at Idia, there’s a flat expression on Azul’s face now, though it’s one that borders on disgust. “The mere thought of that is unsettling– I wouldn’t want girls lining up at my door. Unless it’s for business, that would be an extremely uncomfortable thought to have!” Azul then waves his hand in the air, eyebrows furrowed as he grumbles. “Regardless, I don’t understand how that’s such a hard idea for you to grasp.”
“How can it be an easy idea for me to grasp? You, Azul – the Azul –, haven’t kissed anyone yet. Ever. Ever. That’s, like, rarer than me getting an SSR character in one singular pull with no pity!”
“Which is to say…?”
“It’s impossible! I mean, there’s a slim chance– but impossible!”
“You’re overreacting,” Azul rolls his eyes. “I just don’t have the time for romantic relationships – especially as we’re in an all-boys school. Dating someone would suggest going to another school, meeting someone new, and then spending enough time with them to forge a connection that’s strong enough for something romantic,” Azul goes on. “And, sure. It may help build connections– but that’s a lot of effort to put in when I can simply redirect it to managing the Mostro Lounge.”
“Wow, even with romance, you still think of business. I think I’m starting to understand why no one’s dated you before.”
Azul huffs, a frown back on his face. “Like you’re one to talk. How many people have you kissed, exactly?”
“Okay, look, that’s different!”
“And, pray tell, why is that?”
“Because I’m an antisocial shut-in gamer, and you’re– well, you!” Idia exclaims. “Two very different things!”
“Oh, quiet,” Azul crosses his arms. “It doesn’t matter now. We both haven’t had our first kisses and that’s it, there’s nothing we can really do about it. There’s no need to be so panicky about it now.”
Idia watches Azul’s relaxed expression and wonders how he’s able to keep his cool. “But don’t you think it’s… like, embarrassing? I always hear stuff like how everyone’s expected to have their first kiss at, like, fifteen or something. Azul, we are so older than that.”
Azul looks at him like he’s a scrambling crab forced to lie shell-first. “Surely you know that’s merely a rough estimate. Not everyone experiences the same thing at the same time. Having your first kiss isn’t a universal experience. You would have to be a fool to think so.”
“Okay, true. Sure, you can think about it that way– but it’s still embarrassing!” Idia imagines it and the words are already coming out of his mouth before he even has a chance to filter through them. “Imagine, in the future, actually having your first relationship after graduating from this school – so you’ll be like twenty or something – then, when you go in to kiss your girlfriend, she pushes you away like you’re some dirty level 1 goblin in a tutorial dungeon and cringe at you because you have no idea how to kiss!” Idia looks at Azul, and it seems as though he’s finally processing the idea.
“Okay. Okay, sure,” Azul pushes his glasses up. And, for a moment, if Idia looks close enough, it’s almost as if he’s flustered– “But there’s nothing we can do about it, should that happen. Because, honestly, what can we even do?”
“Well, you can at least try to find ways.”
“How? By finding someone to kiss?” Azul looks at him blankly. “You’re intelligent enough, I’m sure you know just how difficult that is–”
“N– not like that! There are lots of other ways!” Idia holds a hand out and begins to count, “For one, you can look for tutorial vids online. Or– you can play games that demonstrate that kind of thing – though, you gotta watch out. Some stuff are way too catered for gooners– Oh! Or I could code something up and create a VR simulation that recreates the experience of kissing someone–”
Azul interrupts him before he even finishes. “No, absolutely not. End that train of thought immediately.” Azul brings a hand up to massage his temple. “All of those are preposterous– actually, I don’t think any of those would even work,” Azul thinks it over for a second, “I think it would be far better to learn hands-on, from experience.”
Idia would’ve been offended by Azul calling his ideas preposterous, but the mere idea of wanting to rather choose to learn solely by experience was enough to send Idia laughing.
“Experience?” Idia parrots, “What, so would you rather have to kiss me, then?”
And it’s funny because, for a moment, even Idia doesn’t fully notice what he just said and keeps on laughing. And it’s funny because he’s the only one making noise. Other than him, the room was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Only when he creaks one eye open and sees Azul’s slightly flushed face does he start to wonder because it’s is weird, why would he look like that unless–
His eyes widen. “Wait–” He looks off to the side, trying to find their other club members – maybe he can ask them to save him from this mess he just put himself in –, but when he does, he finds no one. No one! His eyes widen impossibly more. There was no way they all already left?!
Meanwhile, Azul looks at him like he’s either embarrassed or furious – Idia’s not really sure which of the two. “Kiss you?” Azul says quietly, all too quietly. It scares Idia to the point that he’s backing up, sinking into his chair. “Me? Kiss you?”
Idia gulps, hard like this is the last time he’ll ever feel his heartbeat ever again. “I–” he thinks about rephrasing, about saying that he misspoke, but with the way Azul was looking at him– it’s like no matter what he does, it’ll end horribly. So, instead, he does the most intelligent thing his brain can muster. “W– well… think about it!” He digs a deeper hole for himself. “You said hands-on, and kissing someone would definitely do that. Plus, I haven’t kissed anyone either! – so it’s, like, a win-win! I– I guess…?” he says as if he actually knows what he’s talking about.
When Idia meets Azul’s eyes again, seeing how sharp they are paired with those furrowed brows, he decides to keep going on and on, saying whatever reasoning his mind could create with impressive speed that could rival even that of a professional rapper. And it seems as though he did the right thing, because, now, Azul’s face was softening – farthing itself from the scary expression it had earlier.
Actually, it’s kind of crazy because, when he looks close enough, it’s almost as if Azul’s actually considering it. Because there’s a thoughtful look behind his eyes, the same look he has whenever he’s calculating the perfect set of moves in a board game that’ll K.O. Idia immediately. Thoughtful, like the way his eyes shine when he thinks of a new business idea for the Mostro Lounge that’ll bring him even more profit. Thoughtful, like he’s actually, genuinely thinking about Idia’s half-assed, idiotic, impulsive idea – one that he meant as a joke, mind you!
And, when he sees it, Idia doesn’t know whether he’s to feel relieved, confused, or scared for his life.
“That’s–” Idia flinches when Azul speaks up after his long bout of silence, “...Well, all of your ideas earlier were absolutely ridiculous. But, now–” he meets Idia’s eyes with a stern look, one that meant that he was set in his place, one that meant he was staying on whatever hill he believed in and would die on it. Azul hummed, thinking it over once more. “Yes, that… I’m sure that’ll work.”
“What,” Idia says in disbelief more as a statement rather than a question. His jaw is hanging with the surprise that seeps into his soul. “Wait, what–”
Azul pushes his glasses up, face a little red if Idia looks close enough. Which– which is weird, and it makes his breath hitch in his throat. “Yes, I understand that you may have meant it as a joke– but, well. I can’t lie, that would be the best course of action for our… dilemma.”
“D- dilemma?! What dilemma?!”
“How we’re going to get this whole first-kiss thing over with,” Azul says a-matter-of-factly, “You said it yourself. It would be beneficial for the both of us, though I also understand what implications it may have afterwards. So, you’re not necessarily required to agree to all of this just because you were the one that suggested it–”
“Wait!” Idia holds his hands out, granting him a curious look from Azul. “Wait– wh– what are you trying to say?!”
“What I’m trying to say is–” Azul clears his throat, pushing up his glasses once more. His eyebrows are furrowed and his face is still slightly flushed. “–your idea isn’t all that bad. And, if– if you really want to go through with it… well, I wouldn’t be opposed.”
His heart is hammering in his chest now, so loud that he can practically hear it in his ears. There was no way he heard that right.
“You– you can’t be serious…” Idia stammers, his hands finding a way to fidget as the thought of kissing Azul plays in his mind and– he hears his own hair crackle in the air. His face is tinted a light pink and so is Azul’s, and even the table in front of them, and the air has a glow of pink–
Azul looks at Idia, his expression showing slight awe. “I’m… not sure if this means you agree to the idea or are adverse to it.”
When Idia looks back at him, he sees the faint reflection of himself in Azul’s glasses – and he sees pink flames and the way they flutter in the air, curling around as if they, too, were shy. Immediately, he grabs his hair and pulls it to meet his vision. “Th– this–” He quickly pulls up his hood, as if that’ll do anything to reverse whatever it was Azul had already seen. He groans, “Ignore that– it… it happens. Forget any of that happened. Please.”
“Very well,” Azul nods, but Idia sees the way he tries to get a glimpse of him again. It makes Idia pull his hood tighter. “Back to what we were talking about then… you presented the idea first, and I have no qualms in doing it. I’m sure it would be beneficial for the both of us, being as it will be… the first time for– for the both of us – meaning that we can learn together without the fear of judging the other, because we both have no past experiences to refer to,” he continues and it feels like Idia’s head is spinning. “And being as we’re both already quite comfortable with each other, we wouldn’t need to go through the unnecessary hassle of looking for someone else to do this with… and– and among other things!” Azul clears his throat.
“R– right…” Idia nods slowly, his grip on his hood loosening. “So it’s kinda like training… Wait, y– yeah. I mean– it’s always better to level up and get better stats before going head-first into a boss fight!”
Azul nods back. “Exactly. It’s basically just preparation!”
“Yeah! P– preparation!”
“Yes, yes. Preparation–” Azul closes his eyes and nods with a confident look. “So then, does that mean you agree to it? To– to do it, I mean.”
“I– I guess I do see the pros of it more than the cons… So, okay– okay. I– I agree,” Idia nods as well, mimicking Azul. “It’s for preparation. Right, for preparation.”
“Good. Then, I’ll make a quick contract for you to sign tomorrow. Don’t worry though– it’s just an NDA saying that you’re not allowed to disclose anything we’ll be doing to anyone. Of course, that’ll apply to me as well, so you don’t have to worry about that either–”
“Wait, an NDA? I have to sign an NDA?”
“Naturally. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to risk the chance of our preparation methods to be known by the student body, would you?”
“I mean, yeah– but do I really have to sign an NDA? That’s legally binding stuff!”
“Which is precisely why we have to do it. It ensures that it’ll be between us, and us alone,” Azul leans in closer to make his point known. “I won’t tell anyone, and you won’t as well. It’s that simple.”
Idia swallows hard. “Okay– okay, fine.”
Azul pulls away the moment he hears those words. “Good!” He pushes his chair back and stands up. There’s still a small blush on his face when Idia watches him. “Well then, I trust that you’ll be amply prepared for tomorrow. Until then, have a nice evening, Idia!”
And, with that, he’s gone.
Idia sits there for a solid minute, maybe ten, processing the whole exchange that just happened. Then, he slumps against his chair, slipping down and down until his posture is out-right horrible. He brings his hands up to cover his face and lets out a quiet groan, with his heart still hammering in his chest.
What did he just get himself into?
———
The next day, they agree to meet each other at Mostro Lounge after classes.
It was obviously Azul’s idea, not his. Never in his life would Idia plan on going to such a social place like the Mostro Lounge, but Azul insisted heavily that it would simply just be inappropriate to do it anywhere else.
Idia would’ve suggested using his room instead, but upon realizing that it may suggest something much more intimate… Well, he had no other choice but to agree with Azul.
Which is why he’s here now, standing outside the Octavinelle dorm with his hood up and his whole body shivering with anxiety. Every time he tried to take a step further, it felt like his whole body would collapse with fear. Just the thought of it– entering this place with students from all over the school gathered in one spot– and the fact that Mostro Lounge is the prime location for extroverts to gather around and take selfies with their food–
It’s enough to make Idia sick.
Man, where is Ortho when you need him?! Really, he would’ve brought his brother along to at least help him navigate this place, but the whole NDA thing Azul mentioned forced Idia to sneak out alone just to make sure that he doesn’t breach anything that contract may have.
After all, he’s seen what Azul can do to those he makes contracts with. And he does not want to become like one of them.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t make entering the Mostro Lounge any easier. Though, after a few long minutes or so, he finally manages to get in. Upon entering the establishment, he’s greeted with soft jazz and loud chatter of students all over the place. The Mostro Lounge actually seems quite… welcoming.
The lighting’s warm and not at all blinding, the soft jazz makes for a comfortable atmosphere, and it’s fancy but not so much that it’s overwhelming. Credit where credit is due, Idia can see the appeal of the place. This totally seems like the kind of place he’d see in the top 10 leaderboard of a cozy cafe-building game online.
Though, aside from that, he’s still surprised at the sheer amount of people present – there’s so many people, in fact, that it snaps him out of whatever awe he was in while he observed the place. Now, he notices that there are people looking at him, and he’s sure they’re whispering among themselves. Some of them are even laughing, but he’s not sure if it’s directed at him or what– but he’s pretty sure they might be laughing at him and– it’s all enough to make him want to run away and tuck himself in his bed forever.
And, actually, he’s just about in the process of doing that, until–
“Hey, it’s Firefly Squid!”
“Oh, and so it is.”
Idia freezes in his place. He was about to run back to Ignihyde, back to his room, but he was stopped by two pairs of footsteps heading his way. Maybe if he’s quick enough, he can still get away–
Suddenly, there’s a hand on his shoulder. The suddenness of it makes him jump, making him let out a startled noise. When he turns around, he’s greeted with a view of sinister-looking smiles and sharp teeth.
“Took ya’ long enough, we’ve been waiting for ages! I was starting to get bored,” Floyd says, pulling Idia over by the grip on his shoulder.
“Indeed, you did take quite a while. Though, Azul did warn us about that as well,” Jade gives him a small smile. “On behalf of the Mostro Lounge, we welcome you. Azul’s been waiting for you in his office.” He ushers them, Floyd and Idia, over to what Idia assumes to be the way to the room Azul’s in.
“W– wait– Actually, I have to do some–”
“Don’t be a killjoy, Firefly Squid! C’mon!” Floyd stops his efforts and begins to drag him by the shoulder. It’s awkward, the way he’s being pulled, but no matter how much he tries to squirm out of it, Floyd’s much stronger than him. So he decides to just give up.
On the way there, Floyd’s grip on him doesn’t ease up, despite him being willing to go with them. Actually, Floyd probably finds it entertaining to have Idia trapped in his hold like this. And Jade, while Idia’s sure he sees it, doesn’t do anything about it.
They walk in silence for a brief moment until Floyd nudges him. “Hey, what kinda deal did you make with Azul, anyways? He’s been antsy since this mornin’.”
“I– that’s–” Azul has? Idia thought he may be the only one. He’s been feeling nervous about this whole thing ever since they had their conversation yesterday. Again, the thought of kissing Azul crosses his mind and he can feel a twinge of heat settle onto his cheeks. He curses and hopes none of the brothers see it.
“Now, Floyd. That’s not the way to treat customers,” Jade says from where he walks in front of them, giving Idia a curious look. “Though, I am quite curious as well… you didn’t strike me as the type to have to resort to a method such as this. That doesn’t matter now, however. A new customer is always welcome.” He turns to give Idia a trained smile, and it almost sends shivers down his spine.
“Yeah, but don’tcha wanna know?” Floyd asks Jade almost in a whine, then he turns to Idia. “C’mon, I’m curious. What’d you make a deal for? I can’t think of anythin’ at all.”
“That’s– It’s none of your business!”
“Lame–”
“Floyd,” Jade calls out, stopping in his tracks. “We’re here. The VIP room,” he says, hand gesturing over to the room in front of them. “Azul’s inside waiting for you. Enter whenever you’re ready. Come on, Floyd.”
With a huff, Floyd lets go of his shoulder, and Idia feels like he’s been granted newfound freedom. Relieved, he lets out a sigh. “Thanks… I guess,” he says, mainly to Jade.
Jade, in response, nods. Idia watches as the twins walk away, whispering and muttering something to each other with a suspicious, mischievous look on their faces. They both give him one last glance before they’re out of sight.
Turning away from the hallway, Idia looks at the door in front of him. He raises a shaky hand up, preparing himself mentally to knock. He takes a deep breath, then another. With his other hand, he tugs anxiously at his jacket before he finally lets his knuckles hit the door. On the other side, he hears shuffling – quick and hurried. Then, not even seconds later, the door swings open.
As it opens, Azul is revealed, hand on the door’s handle and a somewhat flustered expression on his face – if the slight flush to it is anything to go by. His chest is heaving, like he’s catching his breath. His lips are slightly parted when Idia looks at him, and the thought of what they’re about to do crosses Idia’s mind once more–
“You’re here,” Azul says. Simple, straight to the point, like he’s surprised – surprised that Idia actually went through with it, with going here. And he’s breathless, and, for some reason, Idia feels like he is too.
“I– I am,” is the first thing Idia says back. And it’s so cringe, it makes him want to curl up and die. But instead of that, he enters the room and pulls his hood down as Azul steps back to make way for him.
“I’m sure you can recall our agreement?” Azul asks, closing the door behind them – and Idia swears he can hear him lock it, if the additional loud click sound that followed was anything to base off of.
“Yeah– yeah, I do– can, I mean. I– I can remember,” Idia says, nervous and fidgety.
Azul then walks over and gestures for him to take a seat on one of the couches in front of the table which Idia assumes to be Azul’s. Idia does and tries to make himself comfortable, but the nerves are getting to him and, now, a thousand thoughts are racing through his mind.
What if I mess up? What if Azul says no and kicks me out? What if I suck so bad he makes fun of me? What if he doesn’t want to? What if he was just JOKING?? What if– oh, wow, this couch is comfortable. Wait, no–
Off in the distance, Azul clears his throat, trying to catch Idia’s attention. “As I’ve mentioned, you’ll have to sign an NDA before we… go through with this,” he says and slides a shiny-looking contract over the small table in front of him, along with a pen for Idia to use. “Take as much time as you need to read over the details.”
Idia nods. And he tries– he really does try to read the contract’s details, but the words are swimming in his vision and he feels dizzy. His hand is shaky when it goes to grab the pen Azul gave him. And he can sense Azul’s presence somewhere in front of him, on the other couch and–
“Idia,” he hears Azul say. His voice is stern, it’s grounding. Idia forces himself to look up and meet the other man’s eyes. “You know you don’t actually have to do this if you’re uncomfortable, right?” and he’s serious, Azul’s serious. Honestly, it’s relieving, it’s affirming that he’s saying this, but there’s a problem– and that is, it’s not that Idia doesn’t want to do this. It’s not that at all.
He can’t explain it. He can’t explain what he’s feeling. But it’s almost like there’s sparks firing off in his fingertips, like his knees feel weak and they’re about to give out, like there’s something coiling in his stomach, making him feel lighter. He feels a little light-headed, but it’s not in a bad way. It’s like he’s anticipating something. But it’s not just ‘something,’ he knows what it is – he knows what’s coming, but he can’t help the odd things he’s feeling. But, again, it’s not in a bad way.
It’s weird. He doesn’t understand it. He doesn’t think he needs to, really.
So, instead of responding, Idia’s grip on the pen tightens and he closes his eyes. Blindly, he signs the contract on the table and hopes that his signature is eligible.
He doesn’t see Azul’s expression when he does this, he doesn’t see if he wrote it in the right place, nor does he really know what to expect. But, when he opens his eyes and sees Azul and the look of surprise on his face, one that begins to turn slightly pleased as a small smile appears, Idia swears his breath’s been taken away.
“Alright, then,” Azul says as he takes the contract in front of him. He rolls it up, stands up, and places it on his table. Meanwhile, all Idia can do is watch.
The next thing he knows, Azul’s sitting beside him. The couch sinks a little with the newfound weight of Azul, and Idia forces himself to meet his eyes.
“How do we go about this?” Azul asks. “I admit, I haven’t done any research prior to seeing you today so I’m… I’m not really sure how to– well, start this.” There’s a look on his face as he fidgets with his suit, doing something just for the sake of doing something by straightening his collar.
“I– I’m not really sure either,” Idia replies quietly, playing with the zipper of his jacket. “There isn’t really a solid step-by-step tutorial for this when you get into it IRL… I– I guess we can just do whatever…? I mean, we both have no idea what to do, so we can do… like– like, trial and error, I guess?”
It feels awkward. The unsureness, the fidgeting, the inability to look each other in the eye – it all feels so awkward. But, paired with the deafening sound of his heart beating like crazy in his chest, Idia couldn’t care less about how awkward it is.
Azul nods. “Trial and error. Yes, sure. That’ll work. So, then–” he shifts, Idia jolts with surprise when he does. “I guess we…?”
Idia watches him, watches the unsure movements he does – he doesn’t know whether to get closer, to lean in, or to hold on. Give him the benefit of the doubt, after all, this is his first time too!
“Yeah– I guess we–” without much thought, Idia moved a little closer to Azul. In response, Azul hesitantly places his hands on the other man’s shoulders. “Ah–”
Then they get closer. Idia feels dizzy, he feels light-headed. He feels feather-light.
“I guess we just…” Azul murmurs, words trailing off into silence as he moves closer.
His glasses fall further down his face and Idia watches. He watches the way Azul lets out small huffs of air through his nose, watches the way Azul’s eyes flicker around, not sure where to land, and watches the way Azul licks his lips when they’re mere inches away.
Idia can hear his heartbeat – how loud it is, how fast it’s going. He closes his eyes and it’s all he can hear, along with Azul’s short breaths. Without thinking, he puts his hands on Azul’s arms and–
“Wha– hey!”
When Idia opens his eyes again, he’s pushing Azul away, hands still on the man’s arms. His own breath is quick and hurried, his hair flutters in the air around them. His face feels so hot, it feels so hot.
“I– I can’t! My heart feels like it’s going to burst!” he exclaims, hanging his head down so as to not look at Azul. “It’s like I’m about to fight the final boss with no armor at all! Like– like I’m a rank 1 noob trying to PVP the top 1 mage in the server! A–Azul, I… I–”
He still hears the way Azul’s breathing in small, quick breaths. “Idia, you… look. Do you actually want to do this?” he hears him say, and he’s deathly serious again. His voice is firm, it’s stone-cold.
“I– That’s–”
“Because, if you’re uncomfortable, we can stop this. I won’t force you to do this without your consent.”
“It– it’s not that!” Idia rushes to say. He looks up at Azul, faces him again and sees the look on his face – he’s not sure what it is, if it’s worry, offense, or something else entirely. “I want to, I’m okay with it. Really! I just… I don’t think I’m ready– y–yet, I mean.”
“...Would you rather we reschedule this to another day, then?”
“N–no! It’s not like that either…! I just– I don’t know,” he groans. “It’s too much for me to handle– this is the first time I’ve ever done something like this!”
“Have you forgotten it’s my first time as well?” Azul says in disbelief. He moves back, putting distance between the two of them. Idia can only watch hopelessly. “What about this, instead? I’ll give you as much time as you need, and you can approach me whenever you’re ready. I can be patient when I need to be, after all.” Azul closes his eyes and makes himself comfortable where he sits on the couch.
“Wha– wait, you mean–” He pulls his hands back and closes them into fists, holding them close to his chest
“You make the first move. Whenever you’re ready.”
“But– Azul, I–I can’t–”
Instead of responding, Azul crosses his arms and keeps his eyes shut. Idia, on the other hand, doesn’t believe what he’s seeing.
“Whenever you’re ready,” Azul repeats.
Idia hesitates, then he nods but he knows Azul can’t see it. Silence looms over them as all Idia can do is watch.
He lets himself let go of the breath he didn’t know he was holding and takes everything in, lets himself process everything first. He looks around the room, analyzing and trying to get himself familiar enough with the interior – and he finds that this helps him calm him down a bit.
Then, he looks back at Azul. His eyes are still closed but his eyebrows are knitted together, he doesn’t quite seem relaxed and it’s easy to understand why. His arms have unfolded, now settling on his lap as he sits facing Idia. He’s taking deep breaths as well, as if to compose himself. Idia just watches and watches– watches even the way Azul’s lips part slightly, even watching the way his tongue darts out to wet his lips.
And it sinks into Idia, again, that he’s going to kiss this man.
He sits there dumbfounded for several more seconds, maybe even minutes until he decides, fuck it. He chews on his bottom lip and clenches his hands into fists. Then, he inches closer to Azul and places a hesitant hand on his shoulder.
Idia checks Azul’s expression, noticing that, even now, his eyes were still closed, though his mouth opened as if to say something. Then, he closes it, deciding to stay quiet instead. Idia places his other hand on Azul’s other shoulder, trailing it up to the other man’s neck. And it’s– it’s warm.
Azul’s breath hitches, catches in his throat.
Idia doesn’t really know what to expect, but when his lips finally meets Azul’s–
“Ah–” Azul gasps, hands scrambling to settle on Idia’s chest.
–this is definitely better than anything his mind could’ve thought to expect.
It’s nothing much, just lips on lips and nothing else. But it’s warm, it’s so warm. And Azul’s lips are soft, Idia he thinks he can taste something– like something sweet. Is that lip balm? Did Azul wear lip balm? Just for this?
The thought of it, the mere thought of it does something to Idia and he tries to get closer.
He feels Azul try to kiss back, not like he knows how to – neither does Idia, really. But, nevertheless, it feels nice. It’s amateur, they’re both noobs doing this but it feels really nice– like there are sparks in his fingertips, making him move them, making them caress Azul’s neck; like his knees feel weak, like they’re shaking the more he tries to inch closer to the other man; like there’s something coiling in his stomach, something like pleasure, like contentness, like relief.
Around them, Idia’s hair is burning a bright pink, tinting both of their faces with a fuchsia hue. Idia can hardly care about it at this point though, not when they’re doing this.
Both of his hands are on the sides of Azul’s neck now, thumbs lightly tracing his jaw. The sensation makes Azul gasp. Idia doesn’t know what gets into him then, but his own lips part and he tries to get closer– tries to feel more–
“Ow!”
In a beat, Idia pulls away and he snaps out of whatever it was that granted him so much confidence just a second ago.
“A–Azul! Crap, are– are you okay? What happened?!”
His gloved hand is up to his lips now. When he pulls it away, Idia can see the faint hue of blood. He looks at the glove and then looks at Azul’s lip – and his bottom one’s bleeding. It’s a small scar, but the blood is seeping out like crazy.
“You bit me!” Azul says, breathless, and his face is red, incredibly so – and Idia remembers that he did that, he did that–
“Wait,” he pauses. “R–really?! I’m sorry, I–I didn’t mean to!”
“Sometimes I forget that your teeth are ridiculously sharp.” Azul licks the blood off his bottom lip, and… wow. Wow, why was that kinda– “Idia?” he hears snapping in front of his face, and it takes him a second to realize it’s Azul.
Azul stops snapping his fingers when he realizes Idia’s back to reality. “Don’t worry about it, Idia. It’s our first time, we’re bound to make mistakes.”
“But– still!”
“I promise, Idia. It’s okay,” Azul places a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it for comfort. “Besides…I– um, I surprisingly enjoyed that. The kiss, that is.”
Idia may have bluescreened right then and there – a lethal Error 404. It takes him a few seconds to reboot, but when he processes the words, he looks at Azul with pure awe. “Are you serious? Like, no joke? SRS? No cap? Seriously??”
Azul huffs at Idia’s lingo, but nods nonetheless. “Yes– Actually, if you’d like, I wouldn’t be opposed either if we were to continue this training slash preparation of ours–”
“Yes,” he blurts out intelligently. They both stare at each other for a moment, faces equally flushed and flustered. “I mean, yes. That’s– okay. With me. That would be. Okay. With me, yes,” Idia rushes out to finish.
“Okay,” Azul looks away, fixing his glasses. “Okay. That’s– that’s good.”
For a good few minutes – though it felt like hours to Idia –, they both simply sat there in silence. Not quite doing anything except being in the other’s presence, though it’s not like either actually minded or anything.
Eventually, though, Idia would have to leave. So, after bidding Azul a quick goodbye, he rushes out of the VIP room. On his way out of the Mostro Lounge, he runs into the Leech twins, and he panics. But, oddly enough, they let him go easily.
However, what Idia failed to notice was the knowing glint in their eyes.