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It took Ren one second to realise how pretty Aster was. One day after they met to start jokingly flirt with him. One month to start flirting with him for real. Two months to admit he may be having a crush on the purple haired male. Another month to realise it was more than just a crush, and six months after they met to ask him out on a date.
In the span of two months since then, Ren and Aster have been on multiple dates from the movies to the park – which took a lot of convincing on Ren’s part. There are even times where they join their group of friends on a night out and Aster ends up falling asleep on Ren’s shoulder in the cab ride. Ren would nuzzle their heads together and press a loving kiss into the purple locks.
Ren recalled the moment fondly to his friends. He could still remember the shampoo fragrance Aster used as he sipped his soda, smiling at the thought of his beloved star. He barely noticed Sonny and Luca exchanging confused looks with each other.
“Is that it?” Luca finally asked.
“What?”
“You said you’ve kissed Aster before, and then you tell us you’ve only kissed his head?” Sonny said.
“Yeah, so I’ve kissed him,” Ren said.
“But just his head,” Luca said. “We meant kiss kiss. Like on the lips.”
“Is that not?” Ren asked, now feeling confused, himself. “I used my lips, does that not count?”
“Not really,” Sonny told him. “It only counts if you have kissed him on his lips.”
“Yeah, both of you have to use your lips,” Luca said.
“I told you it didn’t really count,” Maria piped up. They were all meeting up at a café, where Ren told the two blondes about him and Aster. “He kept saying he’s kissed Aster multiple times. But it doesn’t count if it’s just the hair. In that case, Scarle has gone farther than that. She kissed him on the cheek!”
“Huh? She has?” Ren asked, surprised. This was the first time he’s heard of this. “When?”
“Yeah, I think she was drunk then,” Maria said, trying to remember how it happened.
“Wait, you’ve never even kissed Aster on the cheek?” Luca asked, growing more and more surprised at the alien’s lack of experience. “You mean, you’ve only kissed his hair?”
“Yeah but. We’re taking it slow,” Ren said, not sure what else to say. He was used to showing his affections in different ways back home. Aster was his first partner here on Earth, and the other is a celestial being. Neither of them was well versed in the romance etiquette here on Earth. “It’s not so bad, is it?”
“Scarle has gone further with your boyfriend than you have,” Sonny remarked.
“Yeah, but you have to wait a certain amount of time before you kiss your boyfriend, right?” Ren tried to reason. “So, I’m just waiting for the right time.”
“You guys started dating two months ago,” Maria pointed out. How long are you going to wait?”
“I don’t know,” Ren answered. He turned to the two blonde males. “How long did you guys wait?”
“Mysta kissed me before we started dating,” Luca told him. At the looks he received from everyone in the group, he added, “We were playing a drinking game. I still asked him out after though.”
“I kissed Alban after our first date,” Sonny told them. “A few days after I asked him out.”
Ren nodded thoughtfully, processing the information, “So you’re saying, me and Aster should be-”
“Fucking right now,” Sonny finished for him, causing the former mafia next to him to burst out laughing. Even Maria was showing tell-tale signs of a small smile coming.
“Really?”
“Just work on kissing him, first,” Maria told him.
“Yeah, yeah, don’t just jump him,” Sonny said. “You don’t want to scare him off.”
That was a week ago, and Ren and Aster were on another date that ended with them walking around at night with their fingers intertwined between them. They had wandered around the small town, finding new routes to get back to their dorm. Every time Ren catches sight of the familiar dorm building, he silently guides the star down a different path.
Aster was telling him about Scarle calling him one night, drunk and giggling. It reminded Ren of Maria’s mention that Scarle once kissed Aster on the cheek. He glanced at the purple haired next to him, wondering how the other would react if he was to do the same.
“Ren?”
Ren was brought back to reality by the soft voice and those mismatched eyes looking up at him with a little concern in them. Ren smiled, “Yeah.”
“We’re here,” Aster said, glancing towards the dorm entrance.
“Oh, here we are,” Ren said, a little disappointed their date was coming to an end. He wanted to suggest walking around a little longer, but it was getting late and he could see Aster was getting tired.
While their dorms weren’t that far apart, they were in separate buildings which was already too far for the alien prince. It did, however, gave Ren a good excuse to walk the star back after their dates.
“Yeah, here we are,” Aster said, a shy smile gracing his lips. He looked up at the prince through his lashes. Their intertwined fingers hanging between them.
Ren took a step closer, watching those beautiful eyes widened in anticipation. He smiled, knowing exactly what the other wants. He brought those pretty little fingers to his lips, wondering if kissing them felt the same as kissing those pretty lips. He wondered if it would be better.
“Good night, Aster.”
Ren, being the first person to usually arrive at their club room, had taken the chance to look into the act of kissing while waiting for the others. Apparently, despite it being commonly seen as a romantic gesture, friends do it too, if they’re close enough. Which meant Ren couldn’t really be mad that Scarle had kissed Aster before he did.
To get better context, Ren was watching a romantic movie scene where the couple was kissing in the rain. He repeated the scene over and over again, trying to imagine him and Aster being locked in the same passionate kiss. Would Aster cup Ren’s face like the female lead did? Would Ren be so desperate to hold on to him that the prince would unconsciously lift him off the ground?
“What are you watching?”
Ren jumped at the sudden voice and instinctively locked his phone. He whirled around to see a familiar angel eyeing him suspiciously. She tilted her head to the side, trying to get a glimpse of his phone. She grinned when she recognized the sleeping face on the lock screen.
“Wow, you actually have Aster on your lock screen,” Aia commented.
“Yeah, I do,” he said, laughing nervously.
“Were you watching The Notebook?” she asked, sliding in the seat next to him.
At this point, Ren knew he couldn’t hide it anymore. Aia has sharp eyes and sharper instincts. If anything was happening among them, she’s usually the first one to notice. She was the one who began to suspect his budding crush on the star, and later on the one to push him to ask Aster out.
“Yeah, I was watching them to understand kissing better,” he admitted. “Me and Aster have been dating a while, but we’ve never actually kissed. So, I want to see what it’s all about, you know. How humans do it here.”
“But you do know that most kisses in real life aren’t as dramatic as that scene,” she told him.
“They’re not? Why is it so famous then? It’s the top result when I looked it up.”
“No, kisses in real life are not always like that. I think people just love that scene because it’s nothing like real life. It’s like all those pent-up emotions they had for each other spilling into that one kiss,” Aia explained. “In real life, kisses can be more casual, depending on the situation. If you’re in public, people tend to go for just a peck or a quick kiss. In private, well, that’s really up to the parties involved.”
“So, it’s up to us…”
“Yeah, for first kisses people tend to go down the gentle route,” she told him. “Because it’s a first for them, so people tend to be more cautious and go slow. Once you get used to it, you’ll figure out the pace you’re comfortable with.”
“So, I should go slow for our first kiss?” Ren asked, trying to wrap his head around it.
“I mean, yeah, I’m guessing it’s the first kiss for both you and Aster,” Aia replied. “So, you both will probably go slow. Which is good, you know, take the time to explore and figure out how you both like your kisses.”
Ren hummed thoughtfully, trying to imagine what it would be like to kiss Aster the first time. Instead of a kiss under the rain, it would be one under a moonlit sky. A kiss after a long walk around town. He wondered what it would be like to kiss Aster’s lips after a date.
“I can’t believe I’m here explaining to you about kisses,” Aia said, chuckling.
“Have you ever kissed anyone before?” Ren asked, curious about the angel. She’s been watching over the humans long before she actually joined them. Has she ever thought of kissing anyone, or maybe she’s done it before but hasn't told anyone.
“Yeah, I kissed this girl once,” Aia said, recalling the brief moment in the dark. “It was early on when I just joined the Institute and there was this one girl who wanted to know what it felt like to kiss an angel, and I just wanted to know what a kiss felt like. So, we kissed, and it was nice.”
“Was it a nice slow kiss or did you guys use tongue?” Ren asked, laughing towards the end. This feels like a topic people don’t really talk about. It was a good thing Aia was open to talk about just anything.
The angel simply laughed at his question, “I love how you went from a slow kiss to just using tongue.”
“I mean, aren’t those the choices when it comes to kissing?”
“Yeah, but they’re not the only choices,” Aia told him. “And there was no tongue when we kissed.”
“Was it a long kiss?”
“Uh, I don’t know how long is long for you,” Aia said, trying to remember the kiss. “But kind of? I don’t think it reached one minute though.”
“Wait, wait, is one minute long for a kiss?” Ren asked. “One minute is not long, is it?”
“It is for a kiss,” the angel told him. “I read somewhere that the average kiss lasts around 12 seconds.”
“Oh, that’s not actually very long.”
“Yeah, in the olden days, a kiss would last around 5 to 6 seconds on average,” she added.
“Oh, that’s brief,” Ren said, not sure if he should be pleased with this newfound fact. “So, how long do you think my first kiss with Aster should be?”
“It doesn’t really matter. Just do what feels right,” Aia told him, honestly. “But if you’re going to kiss him, skip the garlic and onions. Make sure your lips aren’t dry and always keep a mint at hand. It’s good to be prepared.”
Ren tried to keep it all in mind. Don’t eat anything with garlic or onions. Always keep a lip balm and a tin of mints at hand, to make sure his lips aren’t dry and his breath doesn't stink. Don’t rush the kiss. It’s okay to take it slow to make sure they’re both comfortable. It’s okay to let Aster lead if he wants to.
They had just finished dinner where Ren had religiously studied the menu to determine which food had no onions or garlic on them. They were having dinner at a lovely restaurant, which was recommended by a lovely friend. While the alien prince had mulled over his options, he was surprised when Aster ordered Creamy Garlic Pasta.
Was the star not aware of the kissing etiquette here, or did he just not want to kiss Ren?
Ren quickly brushed off those anxious thoughts, and decided to focus more on their date – it was probably the former, anyway.
He had nearly forgotten about the whole thing, until they were reaching the end of their walk. He subtly smacked his lips together, making sure they weren't dry. He popped a mint in his mouth to get rid of the fishy stink in his breath.
With his now fresh breath, and his lips in prime condition to kiss, Ren turned to Aster with a wide grin. The star smiled uncertainly, wondering what got him so excited all of a sudden.
“What?”
Ren opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. He realised one very important thing during his whole research, what happens before the kiss. What do people do before they kiss someone? In the minute before, do they do something or do they just go for it?
“Ren?” Aster called, bringing him back to the present. The other was still waiting for him to say something.
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay?” he asked, a little concerned now. “You seem distracted.”
“Distracted? No, I was just,” Ren racked his brain trying to think of something. “I was just thinking of something.”
“What were you thinking about?” Aster asked, his head cocked to the side. His hair looked softer under the moonlight.
“Just how beautiful you look tonight,” Ren told him, smiling at the blush tinting the other’s cheeks. It wasn’t a total lie. Aster is beautiful.
“What,” Aster said, looking away.
“I’ve been wanting to say it all night,” Ren said, squeezing his hand.
“You already said it when you came to get me earlier,” Aster reminded him. Ren had told him how beautiful he was when he came to pick Aster up. He blushed then just as he did now.
“Yeah? Well, I want to say it again,” Ren said, happily.
“Oh my god,” Aster muttered, feeling a little embarrassed. But then, he looked determined as he took a step closer to the prince. His voice low as he looked up through his lashes, “Well, Ren, you look handsome tonight.”
“Thank you,” the taller replied, starting to feel the flush as well. A giggle escaped the star’s lips, and the prince realised, this was the perfect moment. All he had to do was lean down and press their lips together.
“I guess there’s one thing left to do,” Ren said, more so to himself. But the smile he got in return was assuring.
“What? What’s that one thing?” Aster asked, his voice coy.
Ren leaned in, the tips of their noses brushing. Take it slow, he told himself. That was what Aia said.
But how slow is slow? Is it just a press on the lips? Does he move his lips? How does he move his lips? Ren tried to recall all those videos he watched, but the movies like to zoom out during the important part. What were their lips doing? What were his lips supposed to be doing?
With the questions circling his mind, Ren turned his head sideways and pressed a kiss on Aster’s cheek. He pulled back, wondering about what he just did. Did that even count? It should. But Scarle did the same thing, so maybe it didn’t.
Ren managed to muster up a smile in spite of his inner turmoil, and said, “Well, good night, Aster. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good night,” Aster said, looking stunned even as he watched the other leave. His hand gently touched the kissed cheek and he felt a strange warmth there. It was quick, but he could feel how soft Ren’s lips were. He touched his own lips, trying to imagine feeling being kissed there instead.
A smile crept up on his face, as he began to get ideas on how to make it happen. Next time, he’s going to know for sure.
Ren had been so busy thinking about the whole kiss situation, he forgot he was due a song. Yugo had barged in his studio while he was wallowing on his missed chance, and demanded to see some progress on the song. Fortunately, Ren had been playing around with some melody so he did have something to show.
Yugo didn’t seem fully satisfied with it, but as a musician himself, he understood the process could take a while. He simply reminded the alien prince that if he wanted to play his song in the next showcase, he’s going to have to finish it soon.
So that was what Ren was doing, working on improving the melody. He had gotten the chorus down, but the verses and pre chorus still needed some work. He probably would have gotten them done as well, if it wasn’t for the nagging question in the back of his mind.
Why didn’t he kiss Aster back then? He should have. He really should have. But why didn’t he?
He was close to banging his head on the table, when his phone buzzed with a new text from Scarle. She had sent a message in their group, demanding Ren come join them at the club room right that instant. Ren was typing out a reply saying he was working on something, when Maria sent another message with a picture attached.
It was a picture of someone from the waist down in black skirts and matching black thigh highs.
The caption read, look, your boyfriend is doing something right now!
That immediately got Ren’s attention. He scrolled through his gallery to find that one picture Aster sent of him in cosplay, and compared it to the one Maria just sent in the group. He compared them carefully and found that the legs match his beautiful boyfriend’s.
As much as he shouldn’t have, Ren figured he deserved a break from the studio and immediately left to head to the club room. There, he found Maria, Scarle, Aia and another mint hair girl he remembered running into once or twice, surrounding Aster.
He would have gotten a closer look, if Maria hadn’t suddenly blocked his way.
“You can’t see him yet,” she told him.
“Scarle told me to come straight away,” Ren argued. He tried to sidestep the smaller girl, but Maria had grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to a corner of the room away from the view he came to see.
“Just let us fix his skirt a bit,” Aia told him. His skirt, Ren’s mind echoed.
“He sure came fast,” the mint hair girl remarked with a giggle. Finana, that was her name. She was a friend of Aster’s he met a few times. They never really talked properly together.
Ren could hear Aster asking, “Wait, why are you pulling it so low? Finana, why are you touching me there?”
“Wait, what are you doing to him?” Ren said, worried what the girls could be doing to his star.
“Why do you have those thighs?” Scarle mused out loud, ignoring the alien prince. She can’t deny the envy when she saw her best friend’s legs. Such nice pale legs she wished she could have.
Ren was beginning to grow agitated when finally, the girls moved to let him see his beloved star. He was stunned at the sight. Aster had foregone his usual white coat and uniform pants. He was now wearing a grey sweater tucked in a black skirt and finished off with the black thigh highs Ren saw in the picture. His hair somehow seemed longer than usual, with the blonde braid now let loose among the purple locks.
Ren stepped closer to get a better look. To make sure this beautiful being was really his boyfriend and not just a figment of his fantasy.
“Do I look cute?” Aster asked, looking at him shyly through his lashes.
“Yeah, you look cute,” Ren said, reaching out to tuck a stray lock behind the smaller’s ear. “So cute.”
Aster preened under his gaze. With him so close, Ren would just have to lean down to steal a kiss from those glossed lips. He could easily mess up the lip gloss and get some on his lips as well. He could do more than ruin the lip gloss. He could do so many things to the star right then.
Ren let his hand drop and averted his gaze. He silently hoped his thoughts weren’t betrayed on his face.
“Are you guys going out somewhere?” he asked, turning to the girls.
“Actually, Ren, are you free right now?” Aster asked, quietly linking their arms together. “I was thinking of taking a walk around town. Finana recommended a new café that just opened up.”
Every fibre in his body was telling Ren to say yes – or at the very least, kiss that lip gloss off. But he had a song to finish, and he didn’t need Yugo to wait around his studio just to finish it.
“I can’t,” Ren said, immediately feeling guilty at Aster’s visible disappointment. “I have a song to finish. We can go out later this weekend.”
“But I only have this outfit until tomorrow, though,” Aster told him, with a pout.
“Oh, you can’t keep it until the weekend?” Ren asked, a little said he can’t take Aster out looking like this.
“No…”
“It’s okay Aster, we can go out after this,” Finana said. “We were all planning to go shopping after this. You should join us.”
“Yeah, I mean, I was planning to go buy some new clothes anyway,” Scarle told them. “We can go together, if you want, Aster?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Aster said, still unable to hide his disappointment.
Ren pressed a kiss on those lovely locks, “I promise, I’ll make it up to you.”
He was happy to see Aster smile, even just a bit. It gave him the courage to take out his phone and asked, “Wait, can I take a photo of you? I won’t share it anywhere.”
Aster gave him a sidelong glance, and said, “You have to be in it, too.”
“Okay,” Ren said, agreeably. He also wanted a picture of them together. He held the camera to a more flattering angle, and started pressing the button repeatedly. Aster started making adorable faces, pouty faces and getting embarrassed by himself. Ren just laughed, trying not to shake around so much.
Suddenly, Aster leaned up and pressed his lips against Ren’s cheek, and the prince nearly dropped his phone. He turned to the star, stunned but Aster was looking anywhere but him. He was blushing again, and if Ren had the courage, he would have kissed the star back.
As it stands, however, the couple got shy and were unable to look at each other, while the girls cooed at them.
Working on the song kept the alien prince holed up in his studio a lot more than he anticipated. Yugo had started making frequent visits to make sure he was actually doing it. Even during his weekend date with Aster, he ended up being a bit distracted. He tried not to let it show, but with Yugo constantly messaging him, it was hard to miss. Thankfully, Aster seemed to understand.
The only time Ren could manage to get out of the studio was for their club’s movie night. Kyo was the one who organized it, and did everything but beg the alien prince to join them. Ren went with popcorn and snacks in hand only to find that they haven’t even decided on a movie yet.
While Aia and Kyo argued about which movie to watch, Ren sat on one end of the couch with his head thrown back, expecting to fall asleep midway through. He had his eyes closed, all ready to welcome the nice nap when someone sat next to him, jostling his eyes open.
He didn’t have to look to see who it was. The moment Aster leaned his head over the prince’s shoulders, Ren knew it was him. He reached over to keep an arm around the star, ensuring he stayed close. He turned and buried his nose in those purple locks, inhaling the comforting scent.
“Hey Aster,” he murmured.
“Hey Ren, are you tired?”
“Just a bit.”
That was the last thing the prince remembered before he awoke to a dark room. He could see the credits rolling on screen accompanied by the soft breathings of his sleeping friends. He woke up to a crick in his neck, and an arm around his waist.
Aster had curled up next to him, and was essentially using the prince as his pillow. The only sign the star was awake was the phone that lit up his face. He looked up when Ren started stretching, enjoying the feeling of his chest movements beneath him.
“You up?” he asked, softly.
“Yeah, I missed the whole movie,” Ren said, laughing lightly. Aster sat up as well, stretching the kinks out of his legs.
Ren could see Scarle was asleep next to Aster. She was leaning towards Aia at the other end, who was hugging a pillow she must have brought tightly. Maria and Kyo were both sleeping with their heads on the table, using their arms as pillows.
“I’ll go turn off the laptop,” Aster said, getting up. The space he left behind suddenly felt emptier.
Ren stretched himself for a few seconds more before he decided to join the star at the end of the table. The laptop must have been Kyo’s judging by the background wallpaper. While Aster turned off the movie, Ren turned off the projector. He unplugged it and placed it back on the shelf.
“Hey Aster,” Ren started, but then Kyo began to stir in his sleep and the two froze. Kyo began muttering something intelligible before he went back to sleep.
The couple exchanged glances and had to look away, when both of them nearly broke out into laughter. Aster took the prince by the hand and led him towards the window at the back of the room away from their sleeping friends.
For a moment, it felt like it was just the two of them. Like it was another date, and not a movie night with their friends. With the moon shining through the window, it felt like they were on one of their walks.
Aster had always looked breathtaking under the moonlight. Everything about him seemed softer, especially when he grew shy under Ren’s gaze. The star turned to look out the window, when he started getting flustered.
“The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” Aster asked, softly.
“Yeah,” Ren says, not taking his eyes off the purple-haired male. He smiled at the blush tinting the other’s cheeks. He could see the other smile shyly.
Aster glanced down at his shoes and back up at the prince, smiling a mischievous smile. Ren knew he was up to something, but rather than pushing it, the prince waited for him to do it. Aster then took out a lip gloss from his pocket and began to apply it on his lips.
Confused and curious, Ren asked, “Why are you suddenly wearing lip gloss?”
“What? You don’t think I should wear lip gloss?” Aster asked back, with narrowed eyes.
“No, I didn’t say that,” Ren hurriedly said. “I was just wondering why you would wear it now. It’s late, you know. I didn’t mean you can’t wear them.”
Aster broke into a quiet laugh, amused by the prince. He fiddled with the small tube, saying, “I like it. It’s strawberry. I like strawberry lip gloss.”
“You like strawberry lip gloss?” Ren echoed.
“Yeah, you want to taste?”
“Uh…sure?” Ren said, reaching out for the tube.
But then, Aster shoved the tube back in his pocket. He told the confused prince, “This one’s finished. I just finished it.”
“Oh.”
“There’s another way for you to taste it,” Aster said, taking a step closer to the prince.
It took a second for the prince to understand what he meant. “Oh.”
“So, your boyfriend was basically puckering his lips at you, and you still didn’t kiss him,” Kyo summarized the previous night for him. They were back in the club room, except this time it’s just him and Ren, and Ren had his head on the table, and a pout on his face as he turned to his best friend for help.
“I don’t know what to do,” Ren groaned, cursing himself.
“Just kiss him,” Kyo said, wondering why his friend was making things harder than they actually are. “I don’t know why y’all are struggling so much. You like each other. Just kiss.”
“But how? Aia said I have to go slow, but how slow and where do our lips go” Ren asked. “You wouldn’t understand, Kyo. You’ve never kissed anyone.”
“Yeah, I have,” Kyo said, offended. “Just because I haven’t done shit, doesn’t mean I’ve never kissed anyone. I was sick in the hospital, not dying. Okay, I know I haven’t done as much as other people but I have done things.”
Ren chuckled, “You’re right, I shouldn’t have assumed. What was your first kiss like?”
“She was my next-door neighbour. It was nice, I guess. I don’t know, we were ten,” Kyo shrugged. “We did it, because we saw people doing it on TV.”
“Oh,” Ren said, not realising some people have their first kiss when they were that young.
“Yeah, so you shouldn’t be scared to kiss your own boyfriend,” Kyo concluded for him.
“What? I’m not scared of kissing him,” Ren protested.
“Then, why haven’t you?”
“Why haven’t you what?” a third voice asked, startling the two friends. They both turned to see Scarle had just walked in the room. “What are you guys talking about?”
“We’re talking about how Ren is too scared to kiss Aster,” Kyo answered.
“I’m not!” Ren insisted. “I’m not too scared to kiss him.”
“He’s just nervous,” Scarle cooed at him. “It’s okay, everyone gets a little nervous with their first kiss.”
“Yeah, see, Scarle gets it,” Ren said, happy to have someone supporting him for a change. “Were you nervous when you had your first kiss, Scarle?”
“Yeah, I was. It was with my high school boyfriend,” Scarle said, smiling at the memory. “We were working on a school project together after class, and I kept thinking, was he going to kiss me? And then, he did.”
“It must be nice to be able to kiss your boyfriend,” the alien prince said, mournfully. “You’ve even kissed my boyfriend.”
The sorceress giggled, “I did. You should try it.”
“I want to. But every time I’m about to kiss him, I get nervous and back out,” Ren sighed.
“Has he ever tried to kiss you?” Kyo asked. “I mean, actually lean in to kiss you and not just giving you signals.”
Ren paused, trying to recall. But in the past few weeks, Ren had been too busy trying to initiate the kiss, he doesn’t remember if Aster ever tried to do the same. Surely, he must have. Judging by what happened, he knew Aster wanted to kiss him. Maybe he’s just waiting for Ren to make the first move. Ren is his prince after all.
Unless Aster is getting tired of waiting. What if he thinks Ren has lost interest in him? What if Aster has lost interest in him? Was Ren too late?
As if sensing his inner turmoil, Scarle said, gently, “Ren, it’s fine. Aster just wants you to make the first move.”
“He does?”
“Yeah, I mean, you are the alien prince,” she reminded him.
“What does that have to do with initiating the first kiss?” Kyo asked, sceptically. “Just because he’s a prince, doesn’t mean he has to be the one to make the first move. Aster could easily kiss him first if he wanted to.”
“Yeah, but maybe Aster’s just giving him the chance to do it,” Scarle said, pouting.
“Okay, but you’re saying Aster is not making the first move to kiss Ren because Ren is an alien prince, which makes no sense,” Kyo rebutted. “See, Aster could have just kissed him if he wanted to, but he didn’t.”
“Wait, are you saying Aster doesn’t want to kiss me?” Ren asked, growing upset. Does Aster not like him anymore?
“Of course, he wants to kiss you,” Scarle quickly said, reassuring the prince. “He’s just shy. You know how Aster is, he starts overthinking these things and he ends up not doing anything. He thinks you don’t want to kiss him.”
“But I do want to kiss him,” Ren insisted. “It’s just hard.”
“Yeah, but having to listen to you complain about your struggle to kiss your own boyfriend is harder,” Kyo rebutted.
“Maybe you just need liquid courage,” Scarle suggested.
“Liquid courage?”
“It’s when you drink alcohol and get drunk enough to not be scared of doing the shit you would not normally do sober,” Kyo explained.
“Yeah! Vox is hosting a party at Under the Table this weekend. We should all go,” Scarle told them.
Under the Table is an underground bar in town that is run by their local voice demon. It’s usually filled with creatures of the night. When the weekend came, however, Ren found the bar being a lot more packed than usual. They even had a bouncer up front, making sure only those invited were allowed in. Luckily, Luca had told him what to say early on and he was let in easily.
Ren scanned the crowd for his friends, but couldn’t find them. However, he could recognize a few people he saw from Luca’s Instagram pictures. He could also see the blonde in question sitting at one of the VIP booths, with a certain brunette at his side. Ren headed their way, a little relieved to see some friendly faces.
Luca saw him first and immediately waved to him, jostling the brunette next to him in the process. Up close, Ren could see two more figures sitting across them he didn’t notice earlier. A bespectacled novelist that Aia was a fan off and a sorcerer with flames surrounding his head. Ren silently wondered if the sorcerer could tell if someone tried to sneakily touch the flames.
“Ren, you came,” Luca exclaimed, as his friends made room for the alien prince to join. “Guys, you remember Ren. Ren, this is Mysta, Ike and Shu.”
“You’re Aster’s boyfriend,” Mysta said, recognizing the alien prince.
“You know Aster?” Ren asked, surprised. He gratefully accepts the drink Ike passed him.
“Oh, I’d never forget those thighs,” Mysta said, smiling at the memory of the star.
“What?” Ren asked, wondering how Mysta, of all people, saw his boyfriend’s thighs. Aster was surprisingly proud of his legs and has shared pictures of them with their friends. But surely, he wouldn’t share them with other people as well.
“Wait, what?” Luca asked, laughing unsurely. “When did you see his thighs?”
“He showed me a picture,” Mysta said, as if that was enough of an explanation.
Luca asked, “What picture?”
“It’s a picture of him in a cosplay. It’s the one of him in a sweater and thigh highs,” Mysta explained. He turned to Ren, saying, “You know the one.”
Ren did know the picture Mysta was talking about. He also knew that a sweater and thigh highs were practically the only thing Aster wore in the picture. He’s not sure how he feels about his boyfriend showing that picture to other people.
Clearly, he wasn’t the only one to feel that way, with the way the former mafia was struggling to find the right words to say, “What- I didn’t even know you know him.”
“I see him whenever I go with Shu to the institute. He’s friends with that sorceress, Scarle,” Mysta told him. “We usually talk while we wait for them to do whatever it is they do.”
“And he just showed you a picture of him in cosplay?” Ike asked, surprised at how brazen the star could be.
“Not the first time we met,” Mysta said. “No, after a few months of talking. I showed him a picture of me in the maid dress, and he showed me the cosplay picture.”
“You showed him the picture of you in the maid dress?” Luca asked, his voice low and suspicious. “Which one?”
“Which one?” Ike echoed. “How many maid dresses have you worn?”
“The one I wore to work,” Mysta said, ignoring the novelist. He rolled his eyes when his boyfriend visibly perked up at the answer.
Before Ren could even think of what to say to that, they were joined by Sonny and his boyfriend with cat-like features. Alban is one of the friendliest people Ren has ever met, and had the uncanny ability to befriend practically anyone he met. It especially helped, when he bought them their next round of drinks.
The drinks kept coming as more people joined and more people left. Some got up to dance, while others left to find their own personal booth. Somewhere along the lines, Ren found himself at the table with just Sonny and Alban, asking them what it was like to be able to kiss their boyfriend. The couple glanced at each other, as Sonny silently took away the alien’s drink and switched it with plain water.
“So, you haven’t kissed your boyfriend?” Alban said, thoughtfully. “I mean, I don’t really know what to say. You just do it, I guess.”
“I know, but how,” Ren asked, not liking the repetitive answer. Where do your and your lips go when you kiss?”
“We don’t really think about that, man,” Sonny said. “Because when you start kissing, it doesn’t matter. You just do. Instincts.”
Ren groaned, because if it’s instincts then it should be easier than this. “Is fucking, instincts?”
“Pretty much,” Sonny shrugged.
Alban snorted, but did his best to recompose himself, “I mean, there are books like Kama Sutra if you want references.”
“People teach you how to have sex?” Ren asked, in awe. Humans really think of everything. “Are the classes hard?”
Alban burst out laughing at that, “I mean, you can just ask Vox if you want.”
Ren laughed as well, because Alban is funny when he laughs. Sonny shakes his head, and said, “Ren, just focus on kissing your boyfriend first. Look, there he is now.”
Ren turned to see where the blonde was pointing and his face lit up at the sight of the purple haired male. He barely noticed their other friends who was there.
“Aster,” Ren exclaimed, happily bounding up to his beloved star. He reached out to hug the smaller male, only to end up tripping on his own two feet. Luckily, Aster was sober enough to catch him before he ended up face first on the floor.
“Are you okay?” Aster asked, helping the taller prince stand up. He nearly fell over himself, when Ren threw an arm around him. He carefully manoeuvred them to a nearby empty booth and dropped the alien prince on the seat. Aster ended up being tugged along and landed unceremoniously onto the prince’s lap.
“Ren,” the purple haired male groaned, trying to get up. He could see Finana’s face watching them from afar, clearly amused. She gave him a knowing wink which he Aster promptly ignored.
However, Aster barely had time to gather himself, when strong arms wrapped themselves around his waist and his back was pressed against the young prince’s chest. Aster had to lean away from the curved horn threatening to poke him just as a head fell on to his shoulder.
“Aster, you were wrong,” Ren mumbled into his shoulder.
“I was wrong? What was I wrong about?” Aster asked, a little distracted with trying to find a more comfortable way of seating. He tried to get up, but the hold on him would tighten.
Ren looked up at his star, a rare frown on his face. “You said I didn’t like you. You were wrong. I really, really like you. I like you so much I want to kiss you.”
“You want to kiss me?” Aster asked, quietly. His own heart pounding in his ears. His mind wondered if this was Ren being an honest drunk.
“Yeah, I want to kiss you,” Ren said, wondering how his beloved star could even ask him that. “I want to kiss you more than Scarle does.”
“What? Scarle doesn’t want to-”
“But Sonny says I have to fuck you first,” Ren said, sighing dramatically.
“What?”
“Two months. We’ve been dating for two months, and we haven’t kissed,” Ren said, looking into those mismatched eyes. They were so pretty. They grew prettier with red tinted cheeks. “It’s too late to kiss. We have to just fuck. But I want to kiss you. I still want to fuck you. But I really, really, want to kiss you first. Can I kiss you, Aster?”
Aster pursed his lips, not sure if it was appropriate to smile when his boyfriend is in the middle of a drunken rambling. It was even harder to hold back, when Ren was looking at him expectantly.
“Yeah, yeah, you can kiss me,” Aster said, softly. He was vaguely aware they were drawing attention.
Ren broke into a wide grin and scrambled to sit up better so he could get more comfortable. All the TV shows and magazines he found all showed a couple kissing at a party would be doing it for a long time. But before Ren could even think about leaning in, Aster had a hand covering his mouth.
“Not right now,” Aster told him, firmly. His eyes softened when he saw the alien prince visibly deflating. “I don’t want our first kiss to be when you’re drunk.”
“You don’t?” Ren asked, his words muffled behind the hand.
Aster could see he was pouting now, but decided to remain firm, “No, I want us to both be sober at least.”
“Okay, I understand,” Ren said, even though he was clearly disappointed. But then, he looked at Aster with newfound determination. “I will kiss you tomorrow, though.”
Aster laughed at that and cupped the prince’s face with his hands, “Yeah? You’re going to kiss me, tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I’m going to kiss you,” Ren promised. “I’m going to give you the best kiss you’ve ever had.”
“I’ve never kissed anyone before,” Aster admitted softly. “You’re going to be my first.”
“Good, I should be the only one you kiss,” the prince told him. He leaned in, until their noses were nearly touching. Those lips, oh so close. “Are you sure I can’t kiss you right now?”
Aster wrinkled his nose and leaned away, “No, your breath stinks.”
“Okay fine,” Ren huffed, burying his face in the crook of Aster’s neck. “I’ll kiss you tomorrow.”
Aster smiled fondly, angling his face better so he could press a soft kiss on the raven hair.
When tomorrow came, Ren was too busy dealing with a hangover to worry about kissing. Which was just as well, he didn’t feel very kissable himself, when his breath smelled like something had died and his head felt like someone took a sledgehammer to it.
Luckily, Ren didn’t drink to the point that he blacked out, which meant that he still remembered everything that happened the night before. Unfortunately, even if he did remember the promise he made, he was still unable to keep it when Yugo decided to increase his frequent visits to ensure he finished his song for the showcase.
It was a few days after, when Aster dropped by the studio. Ren was working on the final touches of his new song, and barely noticed the other came in until he took his headphones off for a break. He turned to see Aster had taken the sofa and was quietly playing a game. They both started talking and even ordered some food. Somewhere along the lines, Aster ended up on Ren’s lap, with his back pressed against the prince’s chest.
Ren was humming his new song into Aster’s ear, while the star played with their fingers. He noted how his fingers were longer than the prince’s but Ren’s hand is still slightly bigger than his. The smaller boy started switching their rings around. He smiled, amused, at seeing Ren wearing his golden rings while he wore Ren’s black ones.
“You know, at my home, anyone wearing this ring,” Ren said, brushing against the black jewel now donned on Aster’s ring finger. “Is part of the royal family.”
“I guess I’m a prince now,” Aster said, stretching out his hands to see them in the light.
“Yeah, we’re both princes,” Ren said, laughing lightly.
“Yeah, I’m your prince,” Aster said, connecting their hands together. “And you’re my prince.”
“I’m your prince,” Ren said, agreeably. He went back to humming, his muse giving him new lyrics to go with the tune in his head.
“Hey Ren,” Aster said, bringing the prince back.
“Yeah?”
“Do you know what a hickey is?” Aster asked, deceptively calm. “Or a love bite? They’re the same thing.”
“I’ve heard of it,” Ren answered. He’s seen pictures of it online. A lot of people made it sound so hot and sexy, but the pictures made them look splotchy and angry.
“Do you want one?”
Ren stilled, wondering if he heard it right. He waited for the star to start laughing and tell him it was a joke. But all he saw was the flush creeping up the other’s neck.
“Uh, do you know how to give one?” he asked instead.
“Yeah, I’ve given myself hickeys a few times,” Aster admitted, a little relieved the prince couldn’t see his face right then. “I can give you one too, if you want.”
“Sure,” Ren said, slowly. “How are you- do we- I mean, where are you giving it?”
Aster giggled, glad to see he wasn’t the only one nervous, “I mean, I can do it on your hand.”
“Oh- Oh, really? Okay,” Ren said, anticipation clear in his voice.
“Yeah, so just,” Aster said, taking a deep breath. He wondered what possessed him to suddenly want to do this. Maybe it was the way other people looked at Ren. Maybe it was the way Ren looked at him all those times, and did nothing.
Whatever it was, it drove Aster to bring the prince’s hand to his lips and suck.
Ren leaned to the side to watch Aster do it. He winced when Aster bit into his skin but his protests died when he felt warm lips closed around it and the other started sucking. The feeling was new and exciting. It sent thrills down Ren’s spine and made his heart race at the new possibilities.
“There,” Aster said, when he was done. He leaned back to show the red mark now on the alien’s hand.
“Oh wow,” Ren said, fascinated by the new mark on his hand. He was about to say something else, when he saw Aster wipe away the trail of saliva from his mouth. He glanced at the mark, and realised he could still see it was still wet from Aster’s lips.
Without thinking, he brushed his thumb over Aster’s lower lips and was surprised to find how soft it felt. Aster stilled under his touch, and Ren could see the way those mismatched eyes widened in anticipation.
Ren froze, unsure how to move forward from here. Where does his hand go from here? Does he drop it? Does he take Aster’s hand?
Seeing his mind began to wander, Aster shifted on his lap so he was face to face with the alien prince. He cupped Ren’s face, bringing him back to them, now.
“Ren,” he said, firmly. “Kiss me.”
“Oh, okay,” Ren said, smiling a bit even as he leaned in.
Their noses bump into each other, making them both laugh when they pull apart and Ren didn’t find it as terrifying as he thought it would be. When they leaned in once more, Aster didn’t move, letting the prince take charge once more.
Their lips brushed the first time and Ren could feel how soft they were in that brief moment. He leaned in again, this time their lips pressed together for a few seconds and Ren found the feeling strangely addicting.
Aster’s hands slid down to wrap themselves around the prince’s neck as their kiss began to deepen. Ren kept the star steady with a hand on his hip. His other hand was cupping Aster’s face, trying to savour every moment of the kiss. They pulled back, breathing hard as they looked at each other with matching smiles on their faces.
“Wow,” Ren breathed.
“Yeah,” Aster giggled and went in for another kiss.