The setting sun in the summer sky draped the world in a thin veil of vibrant yellow and smoldering orange, fading down into a horizon of violet and red that blended seamlessly into the distant ocean. Tiny, tepid waves of water kicked up onto the shore of the nearly deserted sands of the beach, splashing up against the only two pairs of paws left to grace the soft grains. The peaceful solitude, paired up with the sangria sky that mother nature provided, had created an air of romance that one could only ever dream of.
For Silvarus and Lafayel, their day had been a dream that neither one wanted to end.
Silvarus wasn't the type to enjoy a crowded beach, but much to his delight, the earlier parts of the day were filled with merriment elsewhere. There was a brisk walk around Setters Park, where the duo enjoyed the feel of soft blades of grass conforming to their paws and supporting their every step. A quick cone of ice cream was shared as well, and a pair of eager tongues came dangerously close to touching as they blazed twin trails through cool, tasty vanilla ice cream. It wasn't even until a little bit later, after a trip to the local mini golf course where Silvarus spent a good portion of the time showing off, and Lafayel just did his best to keep up, that the pair took note of a little trail near the back end of the park that started out as shorter, dead grass, and eventually faded away entirely into sand so soft, their paws sunk into it with every step, leaving a trail right up to the ocean shore. Lafayel could hardly contain his excitement at the sight of the water, though Silvarus kept a little more reserved until he saw the shocking amount of privacy.
Be it a private beach that they happened upon by mistake, or just the particular time of night, fortune smiled on the pair, and the gorgeous sunset presented the most romantic backdrop that anyone could imagine to end a date.
Why can't I find the words to ask him, then? Lafayel thought, the setting sunlight highlighting the bright, yellow and gold hues in his scales, giving him an ethereal glow that Silvarus was quietly drinking in. Lafayel wanted to look back to Silvarus so he could admire the ruddy, reddish texture that the sunlight gave to his otherwise deep, onyx fur, but the bright, timid jades that were his eyes simply couldn't look that way. As much fun as he was having with his good friend, one that he wished was something more, shyness was getting the better of him in a moment that each of them knew was something more than a quiet sit between friends. Why can't I just ask him how he really feels?
Silvarus was certainly the more forward of the pair, but even he was able to feel a little tension as he gazed in towards his friend. Under the veneer of his glasses, he tried to be a little sneaky about admiring that shy, adorable smile that he could see played across Lafayel's lips, and the rising warmth of a blush through his yellow and golden scales, the gentle tint of pink obviously a little more than a sunburn. He wanted so badly to pick his friends mind; to know what he was thinking about right that very moment, and even further, why he felt that way, but he simply couldn't believe that someone like Lafayel would feel the same way about him. Silvarus was sure of what he felt, but he was every bit as hesitant as Lafayel to express the desire to take their friendship one step further. Just going in for a kiss might be too much, but on the other hand, a hug might seem a little too friendly, and perhaps not get the message across strong enough. Silvarus did his best not to shake as he thought over his best course of action...there just had to be a perfect middle ground that he wasn't thinking of, whether it was nerves, or the butterflies fluttering around in his tummy that kept him from figuring it out.
Still...
Just being there with his friend, and the memories he'd collected from the wonderful day that they'd had before, things that could never be taken away from him sent his tail a flutter. Each gentle back and forth, each excited swish brought the soft, smooth fur of his kangaroo tail a little bit closer to the long, prehensile tail of Lafayel. Smooth black and a blue stripe came dangerously close to the intricate red spots of scales opposite, but in the end, it was the more timid Lafayel that caught sight of their tails out of the corner of his eye. With a quick and decisive coil, their tails just starter to intertwine, and without a word, Lafayel touched the very tip of his own tail to Silvarus', and gathered up all of his courage to look for a reaction. Like looking into a mirror, he could see a very slight flush in the darker fur, and for just a quick moment, even in perfect silence, bright green eyes met with pale blues. The tepid splash of waves upon their pairs of paws drew Lafayel out of the magical moment just long enough for him to look away again, but before he did, Silvarus clearly saw a genuine happiness in what was otherwise a very shy, bashful smile.
"I-I'm sorry..." Lafayel quickly stammered out, but his actions betrayed his words, as the tip of his tail refused to move away from Silvarus. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything."
Silvarus shook his head a little bit, wishing he could steal another gaze into the endless, beautiful emeralds of his shy snake. "Don't worry about it," he quickly replied, hoping to calm him down a little bit. "Honestly, it feels kinda nice."
"Heh. Just kinda nice?" Lafayel asked, trying to display the same kind of alluring confidence that Silvarus always had about him. Physical appearance alone would have been enough to draw Lafayel to Silvarus: a full, toned body with just the right amount of definition in his abdomen, arms that looked well built, and just strong enough to be comforting without being too powerful. The black fur on a kangaroo was refreshingly different, and the the blue highlights in his hair, and matching hues along his pawpads and stripes made him downright exotic in appearance. It didn't hurt that Silvarus was his best friend, either, giving him just the right amount of courage to show a little interest.
Silvarus grinned. "Maybe a little more than that, but I can't give away all of my sensitive spots so easily, can I?"
That's awfully flirty of him...I think. I'm pretty sure. Jeez...I wish I could just stop over-thinking this! Lafayel beat himself up a bit mentally, but he just couldn't help the nerves. It was understandable, at the very least; if he was right about his feelings, there would be a whole new aspect of their relationship to explore, but if he was wrong, he was worried that it might cost him a good friend, no- his best friend, for life. "It certainly wouldn't hurt if you gave me at least a couple ideas of where to go," he suggested, offering a surprisingly flirty air towards Silvarus.
The kangaroo took full notice of it. It wasn't exactly what he'd expected of the snake that had already captured his heart, even if he was blissfully unaware. Long, flowing black hair that wrapped around soft shoulders and all the way down over a slim, trim figure always drew Silvarus in, and if the allure of his colorful scales and exquisite pattern wasn't enough, the bright, powerful contrast of those piercingly green eyes drew him in every single time, and left him completely captivated. His heart would skip a beat the moment those glistening jades looked his way, and now, just trying to hold their gaze, Silvarus could feel knots forming in his tongue, just as he was about to speak. "I-I...I mean, if you really want to know, I guess I could tell you a couple..." he struggled through his words, his confidence faltering for just a moment, but Lafayel wasn't taken aback by it, rather, he found it endearing to see that the unwavering confidence Silvarus held was real, but all the same, he was even more so a real person underneath it all, perhaps even more than he'd given his friend credit for.
"Silvarus..."
"...Yes?"
Lafayel gulped. His smile finally started to fade just a little bit, uncertainty clouding the gesture as he tried to sure up his courage. He struggled to think of a time recently where he was more nervous at a decision he had to make, but more excited at the prospect of what could come of it. "Do you mind if I maybe...y'know...tried to find one of them myself?"
Two uncertain minds were thinking almost the exact same nervous thoughts, and while Silvarus was struggling at first to think of how he'd make his move, his more timid friend had done all the setup work for him. It was now just a matter of finding the right words. "You're a close friend, Lafayel. Why don't I just show you one of them?"
This isn't happening. This isn't happening. This isn't happening.
Lafayel was completely in a mental panic. His heart was racing, his paws were sweaty, and his lower lip was starting to quiver, all at the thought of tasting his friend's lips, just this once. He was silently begging whatever powers might be for just this one opportunity to come true for him.
A slow moving paw teased through the sand and came to rest upon the back of Lafayel's paw, pawpads gently teasing over the smooth scales. "Silvarus..."
Lafayel was so desperate for a taste of his friend, he was content to beg for it, but just as his lips opened to do so, his wish was granted. "Mnn!" he gasped in muffled surprise, his eyes flying wide open in shock, bright emerald orbs filled with wonder as he was granted a long, drawn taste of his best friend's delicate flesh.
It was no ordinary peck on the lips.
Silvarus gently clenched Lafayel's paw in his own, passing a bit of the electric sensation through to his friend in a secondary touch. Their tails, once loosely coiled, clenched tight around each other as the pair reached around, Silvarus embracing his friend in a comfort to help him relax and let him enjoy the kiss every bit as much as he did. Refusing to have their first taste end so quick, Lafayel found his own confidence and pressed back against the kangaroo of his desires, fulfilling his need for a deeper taste of his delicious, delicate lips. As their paws intertwined, their connection grew evermore full, and a gentle whimper of desire escaped Lafayel as he scooted closer in the sand, so overwhelmed with emotion at the kiss that in that moment, he felt a need to be close to someone who could comfort him...conveniently, his best friend was right there, sharing a first kiss with him that neither of them could ever forget. Who else could ever make me feel so weak in my knees, but so strong in my heart? Lafayel wondered, but the thought was quickly whisked away by a fresh wave of delightful endorphins as Silvarus moved his lips in a gentle pattern.
For just a moment, Lafayel fluttered his eyes open, once closed in content from the kiss. They were just faintly brought open by the feel of tiny, pleasant nibbles upon his lip, and as his eyes gazed around the sky for a moment, as if to confirm that this moment really was happening, the delightful head-rush that came with such a perfect kiss made him feel as though he was drowning in a glass of fine red wine, so fresh and vibrant in its flavor that he could almost smell the delicious aroma of endless vineyards around him. Drunk on the sensations and high on the moment, Lafayel closed his eyes once more, just as Silvarus finally brought their kiss to a close, sealing his lips to his friends for just one last moment, and making his feelings crystal clear as he only leaned back just enough that he could speak.
"Lafayel...why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Although everything was definitely out in the open now, Lafayel tried his best to act oblivious, even as his long, slick black tongue snuck out to his lips, savoring the taste of Silvarus for as long as he could. "T-tell you what, exactly?"
"That you were such a good kisser," Silvarus jabbed back at him with a quick wink. "You know what I mean..."
Lafayel giggled a little bit at the joke, but quickly found his eyes gazing into the sand once again afterwards. "I just didn't want to lose you, Silvarus. I was nervous that if I told you what I was starting to feel for you...what I really felt about you...that I'd scare you off."
"A good friendship can handle that, and continue on. A great friendship like ours, one I wouldn't change for anything, can handle a whole lot more if it needs to."
"You don't want it to change? So...you don't feel the same..."
Silvarus shook his head. "Sorry...that's not quite what I meant. I wouldn't change our friendship for anything, but that doesn't mean you can't date your best friend, does it?"
Lafayel looked right up from the sand, his green eyes glimmering with elation, like a pair of the finest emeralds shimmering in the desert sun. "You mean it?!"
The kangaroo smiled brightly, glancing down into those enchantingly green eyes and giving a nod. "I kissed you first, remember?"
There was no denying that, or how overjoyed Lafayel was when he first felt Silvarus tasting his lips. The warm, affectionate sensation he felt just thinking about it made him lean up and turn in, pressing a quick, shy peck to the kangaroo's cheek. "You did...thank you."
Silvarus felt the blush creeping back into his cheeks, and Lafayel could even feel it, so close to his flesh. "Anytime, Lafayel."
"How about the same time, tomorrow night, right here again?"
Silvarus was surprised to hear Lafayel being so bold, but he smiled wide at the idea and gave the snake's paw a gentle, affectionate squeeze.
"That sounds good to me, Lafayel. I just hope you don't mind me sneaking another one right now."
The kangaroo turned so that the lips pressed to his cheek slid in to press upon his own once again, and as he felt Lafayel smiling against him, he knew that he didn't mind one bit.
Hijynx!
