Between Friends

Decade

Athrun lay sprawled on the grass, his right arm outstretched as if to capture the stars in his palm. A small dreamy smile curved his lips, and his eyes shimmered under the moonlight. It felt good to be lying under a canopy of stars, with no worries to burden him.

In hindsight, life has been good to him. The mental scars have finally healed with time, and now he was able to savour the simple pleasures of life, living the life that he had always dreamed of to the fullest. After a while he sighed, a soft breathy sound.

"A penny for your thoughts."

A voice, soft and lilting drew him out of his musing. Kira sank beside him, tucked up his legs, rested his chin on his knees and looked sideways at him.

Athrun remained unmoving even as a familiar rush of affection coursed through him, sending warm tingles through his skin. He smiled but said nothing.

A cool breeze blew, bringing with it a hint of mimosa and night blooming jasmine.

Seconds stretched into minutes as they shared a comfortable silence.

"Why do I love you so much?" Athrun found himself wondering aloud.

Beside him, Kira gazed into the horizon, his expression obscured by his hair.

When Kira remained silent, he continued, "Sometimes I wonder, did you put a spell on me?"

Kira chuckled, amused at the notion. He stretched out on his belly, eyes mischievous as his fingers traced lazy patterns on Athrun's upper arm. "Maybe I did."

"Hmph, I thought so."

"Right."

"Don't you find it strange?"

"What?"

"That I don't get turned on by anyone else?"

Kira stifled his laughter. "Is that so?"

"Yeah." Athrun grinned lopsidedly.

"Well, I've never seen you not turned on, if you know what I mean." His hands drifted to rest on the curve of Athrun's hips.

Nodding in agreement, Athrun confessed, "Exactly. But only when you are around." He shifted himself into a more comfortable position. Kira snickered.

"Aren't you embarrassed saying stuff like that?" Kira teased, earning himself a playful pinch on his cheek.

"Why should I be? It's the truth."

"That's great news, Athrun. I'd be very annoyed if you get turned on by anyone else." Kira shot back, and smacked Athrun's butt.

Their carefree laughter mingled in the air as they grappled on the grass. After a bit they quietened down and lay side by side, fingers linked together and gazed at the heavens.

Athrun broke the silence.

"You know what's strange?"

"Don't know. Tell me," Kira said lazily as he chewed on a grass stalk.

"That I love you more and more as we grow older?"

Kira smiled, obviously pleased but remained mum.

Unlike Kira, Athrun found it easy to express his affection verbally. Kira was the opposite, more comfortable in expressing his affection physically. It was a trait that Athrun found frustrating at first, for he had wanted to hear Kira affirm his love verbally too. But over time he had grown to accept Kira's quirk. Anyway, he enjoyed their physical relationship, from the chaste morning kisses to the full blown aggressive and noisy sex.

Athrun ran his fingers through Kira's hair, let the strands separate and slip between his fingers.

"People are saying we are such a romantic couple. They can't understand how we manage to stick together after all these years." Athrun paused, looking thoughtful.

"Really?" Kira sounded genuinely surprised.

Athrun nodded. "They thought we wouldn't even last half a year, or a year tops after we came out."

Kira sat up and said in soft measured tones, "Well, I guess they are not aware how hard we work to keep it going." As the years went by, their love for each other had deepened, and unlike most old couples, their desire for each other had strengthened, leaving all their sceptics baffled. He took a deep breath, and continued, "We had our share of disagreements but we worked through them together. I think most people nowadays are far too selfish, unwilling to give and take ... and they opt for the easy way out when things don't go their way."

Athrun sat up, wrapped an arm around Kira and said, "I think so too."

"Well, I never regretted being with you, no matter how awfully nagging you could be at times."

"Same here, bossy boots." Athrun let his hands wander, and Kira allowed him. He played idly with the zipper on Kira's shirt, undoing and redoing it in turn. "In fact, you get hornier as you grow older, you know?"

"Speak for yourself."

"And kinkier." Pressing himself closer, Athrun murmured wickedly, "And I like it."

Kira snorted with laughter. "So, I'm bossy, horny and kinky, hmm?"

"Yeah."

"You're terrible!" Eyes bright, he shoved Athrun onto his back and used his positional advantage to hold him down. Athrun let him, enjoying the feel of Kira's weight on his body, and his fingers gripping at his wrists tightly. He let Kira nip and nuzzle him playfully, and made small breathless noises to indicate his pleasure.

"Admit it Kira," Athrun purred as Kira trailed butterfly kisses across his collarbones, "you know it's true." He gazed sideways at Kira from beneath his lashes, a slow smile curling his lips.

"Look who's talking." Kira's voice was muffled, his face pressed against the skin of Athrun's neck. "It's your fault for not resisting from Day One."

"My fault?" Soft laughter filled the air. "So you want me to resist? Struggle a bit?"

"Hmm, yes." Kira murmured. "Struggling's good."

"And risk getting myself ravished right here and now?" Kira's lips felt hot on his belly, his chest, his lips.

"That's the idea."

"I expected that, coming from you," Athrun trailed off, his eyelids fluttering. "Horny git."

Kira's vocal reply was unintelligible, his energy focussed on conveying his ardour to his significant other.

Clouds drifted across the skies, obscuring the moon from view. Despite the cool breeze that ruffled his hair and the grass that prickled his skin, Athrun felt blessed that after a decade together, their affection for each other burned even stronger than ever. And he knew Kira felt the same.

FIN

Endless_future, claim KiraAthrun, set #2, prompt #42: Ten Years Later