Darcy's entire body stiffened as the word kiss echoed in his mind. Despite being twenty five and having gone through his rebellious stage he still had absolutely no relationship experience. All of his crushes had been one sided and the only people that hit on him were alphas.
Still, the kiss between him and Kand-Lei wasn't his first. But he was sure that it was the best, and the most serious.
His tongue flicked over his suddenly dry lips, he swallowed dryly before saying, "...yEah?" His voice gave an unnatural crack, betraying his inner feelings.
Kand-Lei rubbed his toe against Darcy's shin. "Did you... hate it?" Because 'did you hate it?' was infinitely easier to ask than 'did you like it?'
Darcy lightly moved Kand-Lei's hands from where they were covering his face. "How could I hate it? When my handsome mate took the initiative to kiss me." He whispered.
He brought Kand-Lei's hands close to him, kissing each knuckle with tender indulgence. "I liked it. I loved it."
Kand-Lei gazed with slightly parted lips as Darcy continued, kissing his palms and then the tips of his fingers, it was fascinating to watch the way he moved gradually, with both care and tenderness. As if he were handling something to be cherished.
Darcy looked into his eyes as he placed another kiss on the inside of his wrist, smiling faintly at the way his breath hitched and cheeks flushed.
"...you're super cute. Kiss me whenever."
Kand-Lei's cheeks puffed up and a slight furrow in his brow formed at the word cute. He was pouting. "You're the cute one, you've got soft, squishy, mochi skin!" As if to illustrate his point, Kand-Lei pinched Darcy's cheek, it was indeed incredibly soft and smooth.
Darcy blushed, the cool, assertive facade he had been building up, shattered with just one touch.
He ducked behind Kand-Lei's hands like they were mini shields, hiding his burning face. What he couldn't hide however, was the fluttering of his heart, which Kand-Lei felt through their bond. Nor could he hide the red tips of his ears which poked out from the long curtain of his hair, or the way his legs subtly curled in towards his chest.
Kand-Lei smirked, having found a fun new way to tease him. He brushed a leg over Darcy's, deliberately murmuring near his ear, "Your reaction is adorable."
Darcy flinched when he felt the words flutter past his ear, warm, teasing. He abandoned his hiding spot behind Kand-Lei's hands and instead buried his face in the other's chest. "You're teasing." He mumbled, half muffled by the shirt, half resonating against Kand-Lei's chest.
"And it's working."
Darcy responded by becoming an octopus, wrapping his arms and legs around Kand-Lei in a full body hug.
Kand-Lei returned the hug, burying his face in Darcy's hair. Laughing softly.
"... did you go to university?"
Darcy snickered, nuzzled his chest, seeming to want to bury his face deeper. "I did. I had to."
"What did you study?"
"Business. I hated every minute of it."
"Business? Really?"
Darcy chuckled again, "Well it wasn't my choice, but there's no need to sound quite so surprised."
"What would you have studied then, if it was your choice?"
"... history. Ancient history most likely."
"Mm. History suits you." His voice was warm and sincere.
"And you? If you'd had the chance to go to uni?"
Kand-Lei's hold tightened briefly. "Law probably. Or science. Those were my favorite subjects in high school."
"You are very logically minded."
"Only sometimes. Or a lot of the time. But you have this uncanny ability to make me act like someone who doesn't know the meaning of common sense."
"Lack of common sense is my super power."
"Lack of common sense is your fatal flaw."
"Touché~" Darcy tightened his embrace, still smiling slightly. "I'm hungry."
"Mm."
Neither made to move away from the couch, the cozy atmosphere promoting severe laziness.
Eventually, when both of their stomachs grumbled in unison, they sat up. Fixing each other's appearance, flattening some hair here, straightening a wrinkle there. When they got to the door, intending to make their way downstairs to the hotel's restaurant Kand-Lei stopped in the doorway.
Darcy almost crashed into his back, placing a steadying hand on the doorframe. His eyes widened before fluttering closed as Kand-Lei leaned towards him, kissing him briefly before slipping away towards the elevator.
Darcy remained frozen for a moment, eyes closed, recalling the sensation.
As his eyelids gradually flickered open, he saw that Kand-Lei was no longer in front of him. He made his way down the hall with long strides, meeting Kand-Lei in the elevator. He casually held Kand-Lei's hand as they descended, lacing their fingers together in the most intimate of hand holding techniques. A brilliant smile featuring on both of their faces.
Neither noticed the looks they got from the other restaurant goers, obliviously happy for now.