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Nayuta Umbrage loves to explore. He loves wandering the earth with the intent of discovery, the drive that motivates him to keep pushing onward. To play around is to learn, and to be mysterious is to safeguard. It's how he walks his day by day, always on the lookout for something to indulge himself in.
He eats their food and buys their commodities. He speaks their languages and listens to their voices. On and on, he accumulates data to fuel his everso-growing interests. There are things he likes and dislikes.
There are also a lot of human intricacies that have surprised him over the years, way more than he initially thought.
Their culture. Their wars. Their values. Even within the same species, so many differences and conflicts present themselves. Quite a bizarre phenomenon, if you ask him. That’s why he doesn’t feel too threatened roaming around their planet—why would they care about him if they’re too busy infighting?
The more he engages, the more connected he becomes. Human thoughts, emotions, feelings—they all merge deep within his soul to the point of internal growth. He can pinpoint when it is appropriate to laugh or stay silent. Empathy became a slow-growing plant somewhere in the corners of his brain. He had formed what humans dub a "personality," a unique characterization that distinguishes every human on its own. It took a few years, but he eventually reached a point of mastery that he was comfortable enough to say he knew a lot.
Or so he thought.
Up until Altus Zendoji pops into his life. Nothing stays the same ever again.
He's a strange Oni, that one. He doesn't shy away from behaviors he's understood by some humans to view as "taboo." Quite open-minded and free-spirited. He’s not even fully human either, but still invitingly intriguing. Enough to feel the same drive to understand him at his most secluded core. He opens a whole new gate of encounters and wisdom. There’s something about him that lures Nayuta in further.
His world truly gets the shake of the century on a random Tuesday afternoon while they’re both taking a break outside under a shaded tree.
"Have you ever kissed anyone before?"
Nayuta narrows his eyes at his friend, unsure where the direction is going. He’s been with Altus long enough to not be fazed by the sudden question, so he decides to play along and think about it truthfully. He never felt the need for such human desires, nor did he ever find a suitor worth his time.
"Nope."
A mischievous grin presents itself on Altus's face as he turns to face him.
“Would you like to try?”
That’s the thing about Nayuta. Seeking new knowledge and experiences is his own personal forbidden fruit—the desire he can never quite rid himself of. To constantly evolve is to live.
“The best way to learn is hands-on, right?” He jests. But his tone invites Altus right through the front door and into his secluded home.
They’ve joked about such frivolities before. But with the way those compelling blue eyes draw him in and yank him close...there's something different in the air this time around. Something thick and tense that not even a sharpened sword can cut through. It’s comforting though, like a warm blanket on a chilly winter night. Nayuta feels safe.
Safe enough to step forward and close the gap between them.
Their chests touch, and the faint scent of white lilies invades his nostrils. He hears the man's shallow breaths as Altus leans in close, hot air pressing up against his ear.
"May I?"
Nayuta only gets to nod before softness presses up against his mouth.
His unclaimed lips tremble at the foreign contact. Their tongues begin to dance against each other at a slow pace, taking their sweet time exploring the unknown. Altus drags a hand up the back of his neck and caresses his sharp nails against his sensitive scalp.
Nayuta groans into the kiss. An unrecognizable heat burns the walls of his stomach.
"Yeah?" Altus pulls away for just a moment. "You like that?"
Instead of answering, Nayuta pulls him back even harder. This time around, passion overwhelmingly exceeds the need for steadiness. Saliva escapes the confines of their connected lips, gently trickling down his chin. His fangs accidentally catch on his bottom lip, eliciting a deep moan from the other.
He puts his own hands on Altus’s waist, tenderly gripping the delicate skin through his clothes. The other man puts both hands near the back of his head, yanking him up against his face. The sound of smacks and pants entwine with the faint rustle of leaves in the distance. Their noses bump up against each other. A sprinkle of sweetness mixes with the taste of human flesh. All senses are overwhelmed far beyond anything he's ever experienced before.
It’s sloppy. But it’s invigorating.
They pull away after who knows how long. Silence drapes over them, but it’s not uncomfortable. It’s soothing in a way that allows them to catch their breaths. Altus smiles at him curiously, blue eyes still concentrated on his swollen lips. They eventually relax out of the heated moment, finally stepping out of each other’s personal space.
“So? What’s the alien's final verdict?”
Nayuta pauses for a second to settle into the present. The butterflies in his stomach prance around, bouncing off the walls in glee. His heart pounds. His skin tingles. And his mind can’t stop imagining the scenario over and over again.
“Hmm…pretty good if I say so myself. I’d need more data for a more concise verdict.”
A playful jab. But Altus laughs and peers at him with a heavy gaze, one strong enough to send a shiver up his spine.
“Oh, I can show you way more if you’d like.”