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because today is the very last day.
We'll allow you to be in Class VII under the guise of someone being brought in to be an example for the other students. I'll trust that you'll watch over those children and, at the same time, look for signs of Rean Schwarzer being one of the key members of the Imperial Liberation Front.
"Man, they're always giving me the hard jobs. Slave drivers, all of 'em!"
But, that didn't matter now. Rean was here at the academy, sleeping among the members of Class VII, keeping to himself and looking for Crow at every opportunity. It wasn't like Crow hadn't seen him around once or twice, having caught a glimpse of him when Rean was running around delivering student notebooks with all the enthusiasm as a workaholic, but...
(The rot has already begun to settle. He can feel it somewhere deep inside of him, scalding hot and dark as it coils around his heart. His inner beast sings for its kin, for Rean, and it's slightly frustrating how empty he realizes that he was without him.)
He was treading some very fine ground. Both Sara and the Principal believed him when he said he had nothing to do with them anymore other than the occasional check-in to make sure everyone was alive, but with Rean here it was like everything was either going to get really intense or really catastrophic. Or maybe it'll be both? I really hope I'm worrying for nothing.
The door to the classroom swung open with a simple push and he breathed in real deep, mustering up a fearless smile as he walked inside and settled in front of the class between the students and Instructor Sara, all the mirth in the world in his eyes even as they scanned the starstruck faces of his new classmates searching for the one he was looking for.
"So, a little birdie told me you all needed a good role model for the next two years and I was gracious enough to accept. Starting today, I'll be a member of Class VII with all you fine folks-- hope you guys don't mind. It's gonna be pretty sweet! ♪"
"Man, they're always giving me the hard jobs. Slave drivers, all of 'em!"
But, that didn't matter now. Rean was here at the academy, sleeping among the members of Class VII, keeping to himself and looking for Crow at every opportunity. It wasn't like Crow hadn't seen him around once or twice, having caught a glimpse of him when Rean was running around delivering student notebooks with all the enthusiasm as a workaholic, but...
(The rot has already begun to settle. He can feel it somewhere deep inside of him, scalding hot and dark as it coils around his heart. His inner beast sings for its kin, for Rean, and it's slightly frustrating how empty he realizes that he was without him.)
He was treading some very fine ground. Both Sara and the Principal believed him when he said he had nothing to do with them anymore other than the occasional check-in to make sure everyone was alive, but with Rean here it was like everything was either going to get really intense or really catastrophic. Or maybe it'll be both? I really hope I'm worrying for nothing.
The door to the classroom swung open with a simple push and he breathed in real deep, mustering up a fearless smile as he walked inside and settled in front of the class between the students and Instructor Sara, all the mirth in the world in his eyes even as they scanned the starstruck faces of his new classmates searching for the one he was looking for.
"So, a little birdie told me you all needed a good role model for the next two years and I was gracious enough to accept. Starting today, I'll be a member of Class VII with all you fine folks-- hope you guys don't mind. It's gonna be pretty sweet! ♪"
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"I get it," Rean said finally, taking a deep breath before he did so. Everything Scarlet told him made much more sense, though now, and with this piece of information, Rean realized what he did to try and bring Crow back was a tad unfair. "I..."
But did he love Crow back? Rean knew, easily, how much he wanted to be by Crow's side no matter what. But was that as a comrade or... something else?
After a brief pause, he decided to see for himself. It was the only way. He stepped forward and grabbed Crow by his collar, to try and kiss him again. Their first kiss was all but a memory now - and fleeting -, their second happened so fast it had taken Rean completely by surprise, but this one Rean was sure he'd be able to get a better idea of his feelings after...
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Rean's next move, however, had Crow grasping for metaphorical straws in the air around them. Who in their right mind said that they understood, then trailed off, and pulled a guy into a kiss? (Rean, evidently, and Aidios be damned if Crow didn't like it.)
What the--
Momentarily raising his hands to claim his own innocence, Crow took a moment to process that Rean did indeed grab him and pull him in for a third kiss. It was things like this that could drive Crow off an edge and into an ocean for the sake of love, but Crow's confusion made it difficult for him to enjoy it. It could've been a last kiss type of deal or a positive reaction to his confession - not that he was expecting anything at all, of course - but Crow slowly moved an arm around Rean's waist and raised his other hand to skim his fingers featherlight against his jaw.
Accepting Rean's kiss and kissing him back wasn't a difficult thing to do and it made something in his chest feel a little tight, but ultimately sweet. It was a pain he didn't really mind.
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Instead, he could focus on asking himself how this all was for him. And the answer he found was that.... well.
He liked it. Crow was a good kisser. And if he had to be kissing anyone, he didn't mind if it was Crow at all.
He wasn't sure if that was love but it must be close to it.
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Crow's mind was working in overdrive trying to tell him to stop, but Crow was already passing his tongue over Rean's and moving his head back only to lean back in and deepen the kiss. He knew it was enough, knew he had to stop eventually, but with Rean (finally) in his arms he wasn't willing to stop just yet. Rean was warm and soft and having him in close proximity made Crow feel like he could just shake all of the stress from his shoulders even if the feeling of Rean's mouth on his was addicting.
He knew what love was and he knew what lust was. He knew that he'd been pining for a while, and he knew that seeing Rean with anyone who even so much as dropped a hint of being interested in him was enough to incite an ugly feeling in Crow's gut. In the end, he knew his limits as well as Rean's, and he would always step aside if Rean felt like he was in love with someone else.
Rean was incredibly dense, but he was also self-aware. He wasn't stupid.
(Crow was stupid-- is stupid, will always be stupid, will always bend until he breaks and want until there's nothing left, only to want more.)
He would kiss Rean as long as he wanted him to, but he pulled away eventually with a soft noise as their lips parted, thumbs gently rubbing circles against the skin over the line of Rean's pants where Crow snuck his hands under Rean's clothes for a moment. It was a small, innocent touch, tame and open as Crow stepped back away from Rean and sighed.
"Enough," he said, eyes closing briefly so Crow could regain his bearings. "I'm not complaining! I think I'm dreaming because this is way too nice to happen to me, but I'll bite: what was that for?"
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"I wanted to see what it would feel like to kiss you again," he admitted quietly.
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(Not that he planned on letting Rean answer.)
While he took his hands away, he brought them back only to press his fingertips against Rean's jaw and urge his face back towards his, leaning over to press his lips against Rean's forehead, the dip and tip of his nose, passing over the lines of both his cheeks, feeling more playful than he has since he came back to the Imperial Liberation Front.
"So?"
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Close as they were, Rean gave Crow a serious look just to hammer it in that he's not joking about this at all, or just paying lip-service to compliment Crow's confession earlier.
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Crow pressed closer to Rean, gathering him into his arms again to spin an important fact into Rean's head even though he realized that Rean was having difficulty keeping himself composed and straight. "I don't wanna just kiss you though, even if I do wanna do a lot of kissing. You know that, right? I won't push you into anything, but...
"...I don't know, Rean. I don't want you to force yourself to be with me; that just makes me feel bad for even saying anything. Love is--... A relationship is a lot more than just sharing kisses."
He wanted to take it all back, laugh it off as a joke, but with Rean this serious and Crow this close to the edge with his headache curbed and his heart torn, he knew he couldn't do that. Rean was precious to him, so much so that Crow often prioritized Rean's feelings over his own - like now, for instance, and like before when he left the Front for the first time - and with this uncertainty in the air Crow found it hard to resist Rean's pull.
But, Crow knew he had to make it perfectly crystal clear so Rean had a chance to pull away with little consequence while the option was still there.
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"You're not going to be forcing me into anything. I chose to be in the Front myself and if I didn't want to be here - with you, I mean- I wouldn't be here, Crow."
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"Just don't hold back if I do or say something you don't like, alright?"
He accentuated his question with a kiss to Rean's temple, hands smoothing over Rean's back as he let him go with a dumb giddy smile on his face as if he were an overly excited child who just got exactly what he wanted for his birthday.
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He trusted Crow, though. He wasn't sure where they were going to end up, but for now, Rean didn't mind it at all. In fact, it was probably a bit relieving; this way he was closer to Crow... He didn't want Crow to disappear again.
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It sure wouldn't make Crow feel any better, but Crow was self-conscious of Rean's hesitation. He really didn't want to step on Rean's toes and make him leave even if it would be ideal for when Crow tears the Imperial Liberation Front into pieces. Vaguely he wondered if Rean would still want to be with him after that.
It was for the sake of everyone's happiness. When he put that against his own happiness with Rean, it was obvious that he would pick their happiness over his. If he could continue to be with the boy he loved afterwards, that was just a plus.
But, he would understand if Rean decided that he didn't feel the same way in the end.
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Rean smiled and, after a quick little pause, decided to reciprocate Crow's hug by wrapping his hands around Crow's waist. "You know, I really won't hold back," he teased with regards to Crow telling him to pipe up if he was up to something Rean was uncomfortable with.
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He didn't sound that worried, though. Crow was all smiles and lewd thoughts in a split second of change, his eyes wandering down between them before returning to Rean's face because he knows better. They just got together and he wouldn't push his luck.
But...
"If you keep that up, I won't be able to hold back." A relationship is more than just kisses. Crow's tone was laced with heat, his hands pulling Rean flush against him, his cheer returning.
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Was it okay to be in a relationship with someone who was technically your superior? He didn't linger on that question too long.
"I trust you'll be able to hold back a little," he said, though deep down, he began to wonder if Crow really would.
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And when he was done with that, he kept their lips close and allowed himself a small moment of weakness, a moment to tease a little more red into Rean's cheeks, "Mm... so, you're saying you're just gonna tease me, then? Give me a little taste and then leave me here wanting more? You sure that's a good idea when I'm getting this worked up?"
Crow left it to Rean to put the pieces together after that, eyes glinting and smile sharp as he angled Rean's back towards the edge of his desk so he could press him against it and set his hands on either side of him so Rean couldn't escape. He was only teasing, of course, but he wasn't lying about getting worked up. It was just refreshing to finally have something he's wanted for so long that he couldn't help himself.
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He made no move to free himself, however, something he was sure Crow could pick up on easily.
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He was feeling just a little amorous. A little came with the danger of turning into a lot, but he kept his intentions wide open for Rean to reject whenever he felt like he needed to stop. Crow wouldn't push or force, only gently guide until it was too much.
It was why he kept his kisses tame despite dragging them along the line of Rean's neck, wanting badly to mark his skin, but not going that far. Superior or not, and with love being love, Crow had the desire to make sure everyone knew that Rean had someone to call his own who was doing the same. Rean was his now, newly brought into his arms, and he wasn't going to give him up.