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“P’Kim?”
Kim looks up from the baby grand piano, eyes scanning the studio. Porchay is no longer occupying the space his voice just came from, and Kim’s pointy ears swivel to the sides in an effort to extend his range.
“P’Kim, P’Kim, P’Kim!”
Chay bounds excitedly through the studio, playfully nipping at the air. He comes to a stop next to the piano, his shaggy golden tail wagging dangerously close to the lid prop.
Kim’s fingers slide from the keys. He glances over at Chay before stretching languorously, arms stretching high above his head as he yawns and straightens out his spine. His long, silky black tail unwinds itself from a leg of the piano bench, the tip twitching briefly.
Looking at his phone, Kim realizes they’ve been cooped up in this room for half the day. No wonder Chay is vibrating out of his skin, restless and jumpy. The younger man needs to get out his energy in the fresh air, under the warmth of the sun. Curling up in a quiet space, observing his surroundings without being seen- that’s much more Kim’s style. He moves with purpose, swift and vicious when he needs to be, otherwise slinking through the shadows. Silent and deadly to Chay’s loud and full of life.
“Alright, I can tell you’re ready for a break,” he says, watching Chay’s face light up. “A short break.”
“Yay! Thank you phi!” Chay replies, bouncing up and down. He manages to avoid the piano, trips backwards over a guitar stand instead. Blushing as he gets up, Chay giggles awkwardly and sets the guitar back in place.
Chay is an enigma to Kim- so freely sharing his every thought and feeling with the world, bold and seemingly unburdened despite everything. It makes Kim feel on edge, unmoored, as if one touch from Chay will expose everything he works so hard to keep hidden. Something in him is reaching out for it though, unable to resist the gravitational pull towards that golden warmth.
~
While Kim gathers his keys and wallet from the sound booth, Chay starts sniffing at the neatly arranged papers Kim has stacked on the music stand. He shuffles through them quickly, knocking a couple to the floor.
“Hey! That’s all our hard work, chill out,” Kim hisses, rushing back into the practice space and swiping the remaining papers out of Chay’s hands. He immediately regrets it when Chay backs away looking dejected.
“Oops, sorry phi! I didn’t mean to make a mess.” Chay’s tail hangs low, swishing slowly back and forth, repentant. He bends over to quickly pick up the few papers he scattered and hands them back to Kim, ending with a wai. “I promise I’m taking this seriously. Please don’t stop tutoring me.”
“Hey, no, it’s alright,” Kim sighs, reaching out to him as he tries to calm himself down, then pulling back. “You’ve been doing really well, and the song is sounding great. You’ve definitely earned a break. I’m just not used to sharing my space like this…”
“It’s not you.” he adds, a beat later.
Chay lifts his head, and Kim’s heart rate kicks up as the smile returns to his face. The tip of Kim’s tail twitches again behind his back, hidden from Chay’s view.
“I think you might even deserve…” Kim tries to look aloof as he says it, shrugging one shoulder, “...a treat.”
Chay immediately barks out his excitement, tail raised high and whipping around so fast it looks like he’s shaking his butt to a beat only he can hear. Knowing him, he probably is. Kim’s lips quirk up the tiniest bit before he smooths out his expression again, his traitorous tail climbing high up the back of his leather jacket and curling into a hook.
~
They get ice cream and head to a nearby park. Kim immediately sits down at a picnic table to eat, but it takes Chay another minute to calm down enough to settle across from him.
Kim wasn’t planning to deviate from his strict diet today, but it was impossible to resist the large brown eyes begging to know what flavor he was choosing. Animatedly, Chay had explained what a waste it was to get the same flavor, when they could easily share with each other. The soft pink that spread across Kim’s cheeks perfectly matched the strawberry ice cream that was handed to him over the counter.
He’s being careful, methodical in the way he licks- catching any and all stray dribbles of the sticky, melting liquid before they can reach his skin or clothes. Chay, on the other hand, is attacking his own cone with an exuberance that can only be described as scarfing. The flavor he’s chosen is represented by a multitude of colors, swirling together and dripping purple down onto the table. He hums with delight as mouthfuls disappear between his plump, glossy lips. Kim wouldn’t be able to stop watching him if he tried.
“You’re too prim and proper, P’Kim. Ice cream is supposed to be fun, but you look like you’re tackling a math problem,” Chay muses, poking his cheek.
Kim freezes mid-bite. He can't very well explain he was on autopilot, daydreaming about tasting the younger man’s ice cream directly from his lips. Even though Chay probably didn’t notice, he still feels like he’s been caught. Before Kim can bumble through an answer, Chay leans across the table. He flattens his tongue against Kim’s ice cream to take a long, wide lick from the edge of the cone up to the tip. Kim follows the movement with his eyes, trying not to combust.
When Chay is done savoring his stolen lick, he thrusts his own cone out towards Kim, smiling wide, oblivious to the impact he’s having on Kim’s sanity. Kim wraps his slender fingers around Chay’s, steadying the ice cream. Chay’s breath hitches, and Kim stares up through his lashes as the ice cream reaches his mouth. The rainbow sherbet flavors explode across his tongue, tinged with saliva from Chay’s sloppy ministrations. His eyes close as a purr threatens to climb up out of his chest.
“You’re so pretty, P’Kim,” Chay announces, awe in his voice. The words are spoken effortlessly, with a confidence that Kim is unprepared for. He should be used to Chay’s easy affection by now, and yet...
Kim’s purring becomes more pronounced with Chay’s attention and he shies away, his tail quivering. He knows he’s blushing again, and it’s slightly horrible to feel this exposed. Chay’s continued giggling floats along the breeze as he pulls his ice cream back to continue eating happily.
~
There’s a large lake at the center of the park, and after they’ve finished their ice cream Chay rushes down to chase some ducks. Kim takes the opportunity to dart to the nearest tree, needing a moment to clear his head. He quickly climbs up to the highest branch and settles in, surveying the rest of the park. It’s a beautiful day and Chay’s good mood is so infectious, his anxiety fades as he curls up and listens to the leaves rustling.
Kim wakes suddenly to the tree being shaken, digs his claws into the branch. Chay is jumping up against the trunk and whining. “Phi, you know I can’t climb that high! No fair.” He’s full on pouting, and it’s making something warm spread through Kim’s belly. Gracefully, he slinks back down between the branches and lands with both feet solidly on the ground.
“Ready to head back?”
“Hmm,” Chay says, slowly backing Kim up until he’s pressed against rough bark. “Can we do one more thing first?” He’s staring directly at Kim’s lips, then proceeds to brush the back of his hand over Kim’s cheek. Kim swallows thickly while his tail tentatively slides up Chay’s flank.
“Okay” he agrees, weak in the knees.
With Kim’s approval, Chay starts to lean in. Kim can see how much he’s holding back, the way he’s so gentle in his movements. He’s trying so hard not to scare or startle Kim, and suddenly Kim is overwhelmed by fondness. A wild rush just below the surface of his skin threatens to burst forth, and he can’t ignore it anymore. He meets Chay half-way and their lips touch, soft and sweet and still faintly sticky.
Kim releases the breath he was holding as Chay’s hands settle on his waist. Chay tilts his head slightly and presses their lips together again, Kim sliding his hands up Chay’s chest and over his shoulders. Chay pulls back to search Kim’s eyes for any sign that he should stop, and it's too much for Kim. He feels desperate with the need to have all his senses filled with Chay. He presses the tip of his tail between Chay’s shoulder blades, a silent plea.
Chay kisses him again, again, again. He does it just as easily and fearlessly as he does anything else. Kim is purring again, louder than ever. This time he lets the world hear.