Unlike Anything Else

The curve of his bottom lip was a bit too full for a teenage boy, while his upper one was slightly thinner, but still soft as silk. Thick, red-brown lashes brushed sun kissed cheeks, and Haru wondered vaguely how his kitten could possibly keep a tan all year long. It had been overcast for the past three weeks for Christ's sake! A sunburst of red, laced with a glimmering golden glow around the iris mirrored the pensive expression that rested so prettily on his lover's face. Kyo's eyes were just that: a mirror, relaying his meaning when his words fell so short of what he really meant.

Of all of their cursed family, Kyo had always been the most masculine, so of course, Haru couldn't help but pick him apart, cherishing all of those beautiful, oh-so feminine things that he found. Like the feeling of those full lips against his own, and the blush that painted his kitten's face when they held hands. No, the feline wasn't really feminine at all, if you saw him as a whole. When you really looked at him, however, removing that thick, outer casing that shielded his heart, you'd start to notice how he always kept his nails clean, and the tangerine smell of his hair that you definitely didn't get from men's shampoo. The cat claimed that shaving his legs would make him swifter in his battles against Yuki, but the ox couldn't fathom how this little detail could make much of a difference in the end.

His kitten also had perfect handwriting, and tended to leave small notes for him in his locker before school. He'd never mention it to the older boy though. He did value his life, after all.

It was never anything too mushy. Sometimes it would be a hand drawn map to the fast food restaurant down the street and a suggestion that they should stop there after school, and sometimes, scrawled in tiny, shaky handwriting that just screamed "embarrassment", would be a sweet little message like 'I miss you' or 'thinking of you'.

The cat was never vulgar in his messages. He never mentioned their early morning make out sessions in the woods behind Shigure's house, or those wondrous nights when Haru would stay over and everyone would be fast asleep. No, Kyo stuck with hand drawn maps and flustered little messages, which the ox figured was rather lady-like of him.

He remembered once, when he'd gotten lost while making his way to the dog's house, and somehow ended up at this little gift shop on the corner of some no-name street. He had bought the cat a single red rose, and by the time he found Shigure's house, it was withered nearly to death. Kyo had laughed at him, but accepted the gift nonetheless, and Haru couldn't help but feel humiliated by his own idiocy. He tried his hardest to push the memory to the back of his mind, and it wasn't until a week later that he allowed himself to think about it.

He had been lounging in the older boy's room, while said older boy was finishing his homework, when he noticed a beautiful red rose sitting quite proudly in a glass on the windowsill. He'd asked the cat who it was from, jealous that there was actually someone in the world who could manage to give the orange haired teen a flower without killing it.

"Stupid."

The cat had answered.

"You gave it to me, remember? It looks a lot different when you actually give it water."

To anyone else, maybe that would sound rude, but Kyo had kept his present. Hell, he'd even nursed it back to health. Something about that seemed almost motherly, and like all of those other girlish things, he cherished it.

"You know,"

He spoke suddenly, not only drawing himself back to reality, but startling Kyo as well.

"Most people turn out to be so.. disappointing when you get to know them."

His tone was soft, and the cat watched him intently as he thought out his words.

"I mean, no one can really live up to the expectations you set for them, you know?"

Kyo nodded, puffing out his bottom lip in concentration.

"But you,"

He felt heat rush to his cheeks, but knew from experience that he probably actually appeared quite passive on the outside, regardless of how dumb he felt on the inside.

"You're the most amazing person I've ever met.. I think.. I don't understand why everyone thinks you're so.. difficult."

The cat cracked a smile, running tanned fingers across Haru's pale cheek.

"It might have something to do with me treating everyone like shit."

Haru, too, found himself smiling.

"Possibly."

Kyo's ruby eyes then focused on his own deep chocolate stare.

"You want to know what I think?"

"I always do."

The ox's voice held no jest.

"I think you think too much."

His lips then met those of his younger lover, and as they parted, he whispered,

"At least a lot more than everyone gives you credit for."

Then the moment was gone, and Kyo returned to his regular, temperamental, flustered self.

Deep down, however, like every other beautiful, hidden moment that he shared with his equally beautiful, hidden lover, he cherished it.

And that's just how he liked it.

fin.

--

My birthday is on the 10th. Go me, and my wonderful, nearly seventeen years of living. Not to mention the nearly five years that I've been a member on this site. What a beautiful experience it has been.

Homecoming is also this weekend, so I have a lot to look forward to.

I met a very interesting person on livejournal named dt8thd, who creates the most fantastic icons I've ever seen. (Ah, what is it about this season that makes me addicted to adjectives?) So, this was actually inspired by our short conversation quite a bit. So thank you.

The word "feminine" really triggered the plot though. It's really pretty when written in cursive.

Feedback is appreciated!