Title: Chasing Cars

Summary: The 'goodnight' kiss. The 'goodbye' kiss. And the 'I love you' kiss. For Nezumi and Shion, the meanings are always clear even without saying it out loud. Nezumi/Shion.

Timeline: Anime centered mostly, and some post-Anime, too.

Pairing: Nezumi/Shion

Warnings: Shounen-ai themes, brief language and mild sexual themes.

-I don't quite know

How to say

How I feel

-Those three words

Are said too much

They're not enough

~Chasing Cars~ -Snow Patrol

~xx;~

I.

Ironically, their first kiss ended up being with Shion actually initiating it. It had been a light, brush of his lips against Nezumi's. A fleeting, soft caress, like that of butterfly wings, and just as quickly as it had started, it ended.

It had been quick, soft, and above all bittersweet.

When Shion pulled away, Nezumi couldn't help the slight quirk of his lips. "That wasn't a thank-you kiss, was it?"

Surprisingly, Shion did not blush despite his quite bold action. He merely smiled, his lips curving with the soft smile. "It's a goodnight kiss," he said, before his eyes widened in false alarm, as if just remembering something important. "Ah, I just remembered that I have to shear Inukashi's dogs tomorrow bright and early."

Nezumi watched as Shion picked up their mugs, heading out toward the door without so much as even a pause. Once, Shion had left, Nezumi allowed his cool gaze to falter; Instead his brows furrowed as he traced his thumb across his lips.

The raven haired male had kissed others before. He was not a stranger to a kiss, and he knew enough to be able to tell them apart. Like all the plays he starred in, kisses were a form of art in themselves; Not one kiss ever meant the same. So, despite Shion's (atrocious) pretty little lie, Nezumi knew right from the bat what type of kiss he had just received.

A farewell kiss. . .

His lips felt numb.

Some damn liar you are, Shion.

II.

Their second kiss Nezumi initiated it.

It had seemed appropriate. Shion had looked just about ready to cry when it became apparent that Nezumi and he had to go their separate ways. Nezumi could easily justify and said he did it just to stop Shion from crying (and it worked, of course).

Unlike Shion's inexperienced and shy kiss, Nezumi's wasn't the same. His lips pressed more firmly against Shion's, and his head tilted the slightest to the side to angle the kiss properly. There had been no tongues, and it was a small notch above Shion's completely chaste kiss.

Nezumi could feel the flutter of eyelashes against his skin from Shion blinking in surprise; Aside from that, however, Shion didn't respond, and it was probably because the young male didn't know how to.

It could have been a farewell kiss, and in a way it probably was. Nezumi was hypocritical enough to demand not to receive such a kiss from Shion but had no qualms delivering one himself.

But it had been a little different from the typical 'farewell' kiss, too. Unlike, Shion's fleeting one, it had lingered.

About ten seconds later, Nezumi pulled away slowly, his grey eyes searching Shion's face. The white haired male's lips were parted a bit and his pupils looked slightly dilated in the glow of the rising sun.

It was an end as well as a new beginning.

Nezumi smiled then. "You'll be alright."

Shion's soft, boyish expression hardened with resolve and determination then. He nodded, and when Nezumi began to walk away again, he never did once call out to him.

He understood, and he let Nezumi go.

A 'farewell' kiss never before seemed so much like a 'until we meet again' kiss.

III.

Their third kiss, ironically again, Shion initiated.

Just about a year had passed when they finally had their 'reunion.' Shion was a bit taller, although still shorter than Nezumi, and his face was a little less rounded and more defined. He was almost starting to look less like a pampered little boy and more like a developing man.

"Nezumi," Shion breathed, his eyes wide and going the slightest bit glassy. It looked like he wanted to cry, but much to Nezumi's surprise, Shion didn't. Nezumi was almost impressed.

"Shion," Nezumi greeted casually, and the name rolled off his tongue. Such a soft sounding name, and so perfectly fitting even so. S-h-i-o-n.

In a matter of seconds, Shion just about threw himself into Nezumi's chest, and Nezumi didn't mind the rushed, fumbling embrace one bit. Shion felt warm through his layers of clothing, and Nezumi couldn't remember the last time he was actually embraced by someone like this.

Later, the two talked inside Shion's house over a cup of tea. The conversation was not in the least forced, and even the few silences in between brought a sort of serene comfort. It was as if there had never been a distance between them nor non-communication all those years.

Just like the first time, and even the second time, the kiss had been completely spontaneous. Unlike the others, however, this one was much, much different. Shion appeared to actually know what he was doing this time. His head tilted one way, his nose brushing past Nezumi's cheek in a soft caress before Shion's lips met his. There was hesitance, as usual with Shion, before he applied more pressure and his lips were pressing more firmly and earnestly against Nezumi's.

The longing in it was loud and clear.

Nezumi acted, finally. He pressed into Shion, deepening the kiss into something not chaste, demanding not asking. Shion relinquished over to Nezumi, never one to deny Nezumi, and always so damn willing with open arms.

The white haired male followed Nezumi's lead in the kiss, and although Shion was still uncertain in it, he was a hell of a lot better at it then the first time. Nezumi's head tilted in the opposite direction then, and amusement filled him when he felt Shion's form shudder the slightest when Nezumi tapped his tongue against Shion's. The action was returned shyly at first, and then less so as the kiss took on a form of a dance of sliding tongues and lips, with slight teeth nipping.

When Shion pulled away, he was out of breath. Nezumi couldn't tell if Shion's cheeks were flushed out of embarrassment or breathlessness from the kiss.

(Then again, Nezumi was a pretty damn good kisser so he wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter.)

"A hello kiss?" Nezumi asked, although it was pointless to ask.

Shion smiled, and he looked suddenly so mature. "Yeah," he said, his eyes fluttering downwards briefly.

He was still such a terrible liar. Somehow, that brought some ease to Nezumi to know that Shion hadn't changed too much in their time apart.

"Plus," Shion added then, as if an afterthought. "It was my turn again."

Only Shion would ever have that sort of (idiotic) logic.

Nezumi licked his lips then before allowing them to twist upwards the slightest at the side. "Well, then that means it's my turn now," he drawled.

The raven haired male grasped Shion's chin, tilting it upwards and leaning down to steal a kiss—but it was not really stealing because Shion oh-so-willingly accepted it, not that Nezumi doubted he wouldn't.

A 'hello' kiss never before seemed to point-blankly say, 'I love you.'

~xx;~

A/N: Just a short little drabble to get me over this writer's block I have. As usual, I'd love to hear your comments or thoughts on it. I appreciate them extremely~!