"Ow!" Moss laughed, attempting to shield himself from the pillow onslaught. He quieted down, still sniggering. "O, so it's a secret? What I don't . . . your book marker, really?"
Moss suddenly stood up and raced towards the bedroom.
“Yes, my bookmarker- hey!” Isa whispered, panic started to rise as he watched Moss go on their bedroom- nope! The redhead rushes behind him, tossing the pillow again to stun him for a moment- just enough for Isa go inside and get his book somewhere else-!
Yes! Moss got stunned! Isa ran past him, dove to where he hid his secret stash of cheesy romance novel, and tried to search for a place to store it in quickly! Before Moss gets in-!
Moss tripped and catapulted himself on to the love sofa. "Ow, ow!" It fell with a loud thud behind Isa. Moss quickly got up, looking incredulously bewildered and amused at the extent Isa wanted to protect his secret. "The pillow again, really?" And immediately followed in after him.
He looked to the place where he saw the storage book last.
And it was still there. In the book shelf they shared. Isa was lying on the bed, tummy down, waving his legs lazily as he turned a page from his notebook.
Should Moss look at Isa, he would turn his head to look at him and grin impishly.
"That is the most suspicious position I have ever seen you in, Isa." said Moss, smiling, shaking his head. He kept his eyes on him as he opened the storage book and checked inside. The book he saw wasn't there.
He walked towards the bed. "You know, you are very nervous about a simple bookmark. I swear that I saw a book I was surprised you'd be interested in inside there." he whispered, lying down beside him. He searched his face again for a sign of recognition. "Isa, I have caught a glimpse of your true self."
Isa snorted, chuckling. Sounding half nervous and amused. Why was Moss so into revealing this book’s existence? “Well ya running over to our room like that makes ya look suspicious ~” He purred, looking back at his notebook. Listening to Moss rustling the pages only to lose it and put the storage book back on the shelf. Then he felt a dip on the bed. He peeked over, not moving his head as Moss came closer and whispered.
He snorted again, rolling over to his side so his back will be facing his boyfriend. Taking his notebook close to his face. But it was too late. Moss has seen a peek of Isa’s blushing and widely smiling face. Obviously failing in hiding that fact but is still holding up that denial. “Well I mean...I wouldn’t want someone to take my favorite bookmark....and I have no idea what you are talking about.”
Moss rolled to the other side so that he could see Isa, and smiled at him knowingly. "Not only is your heart a sweet scented cinnamon roll, your layers are actually secretly lined with the most romantic dark chocolate. And that secret is safe with me." He reassuringly smiled and kissed his nose. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone, agapiméni mou."
“Not a cinnamon roll nor am I sweet- mwee!” Isa twitched the moment Moss kissed his nose. Blinking owlishly as he was caught off guard. His face turned redder than before as he lifted his notebook up to half over his timid and bashful smile. “. . . Really?”
Moss would notice how oddly warm the notebook felt, like it was sunbathing outside. It’s giving off heat...?
"Yes." Moss smiled. "And, you can deny it as much as you want, Isa, but I have seen more proof to prove the contrary." he chuckled. He looked curiously at the notebook. "Is your notebook emanating heat?"
Isa rolled his indigo eyes that twinkled mirth. Chuckling. “Whatever ya say, mi Tesoro.” He hummed, closing his notebook as Moss asked the question. Then he chuckled. Knowing about something as he kissed the merman’s lips, sweetly caressing them with his own as he whispered.
“The great thing about illusions-“ the notebook poofed into smoke, revealing the romance novel underneath. “Is that I can hide within sight too.”
"Oh, it's --- there it is!" Moss laughed, pointing at the book. "Okay, good one, Isa." he admitted his defeat, chuckling. He looked at the cover and softly touched the teal bookmark, thinking. Then he cupped Isa's cheek, looked at him tenderly, and then gently kissed him. "You know that you can be yourself around me, right?"
“Thank ya~” Isa perked up, smiling that he could hide his book easily. He watched Moss look at the cover and touch bookmark, his smile softening to warmth. Then he blinked, surprised by the sudden affection as he leaned into Moss‘ tender hand. Nuzzling it before he paused, kissing back, and swooning.
”Mrph....but-but...I wanna look cool and not be soooooooft-fluffy!” He quietly groaned, plopping his head on their pillow and messing his already messy hair. Bringing his book closer to his chest like he was holding a teddy bear.
Moss smiled. Isa was naturally soft fluffy, and cool, but more of fluffy, but . . . He thought a while. Who was he to stop Isa from wanting to look cool, anyway?
"Alright." He kissed his forehead. "If this is what you want to do, I'll support you. Do you want me to stop teasing you and calling you my cinnamon roll?"
With a huff, Isa chuckled quietly. “I never heard ya call me yours before~” He purred, shuffling closer to the merman’s side.
”I’m fine with-....with ya calling me your cinnamon....cinnamon roll.” He whispered that last part before shuffling his face into a pillow again. His ears were burning red now.
Timidly wrapping his arms around Moss’ waist loosely, Isa leaned into the hug. Nodding shyly as he peeked up again-
Only to freeze when Moss bumped foreheads with him and lightly nipped his nose. Isa melted within his arms, swooning with the warmest biggest smile the merman has ever seen on him. It was like seeing someone getting hit by a hammer of love on the head and getting dizzy from it. He can even feel Isa’s heart racing.
"Banana, me too~" smiled Moss, and proceeded to mwa, mwa Isa's face all over with kisses. "O! Isa, can I . . . borrow Thief of Hearts whenever you aren't reading to catch up to where you are, and then maybe if it's alright with you, we can read the rest together?"
Enamored from kisses and affectionate caresses, Isa reached up to kiss back on Moss’ face. All over, cheeks, forehead, chin, before gently landing on his lips. Humming in a happy daze. “Hmm? Ohh...” It took more than a few seconds for the normally smart redhead to function and think properly to answer back.
”Of course, my Maki roll~ I would love that~” Isa purred, leaning in to nip on his sensitive neck. “Mind if I read your favorite book too? That way, we can the series together once we find ‘em?”
Moss' eyes lit up. "I had never shared Ninjas of Love with anyone before! Yes!" He looked away, happy, bashful. Ninjas of Love was special to him and now there's someone who wants to share it with him. He hugged Isa tight after he nipped his neck, snuggling him hard.
Peeking up when Moss looked away, Isa saw how his cheeks plumped. Indicating that Moss was happy, so the redhead thought. Feeling pleased of seeing this side of the merman. He yelped when he felt Moss tightening his arms and pulling him closer; hugging tight and snuggling hard. Causing Isa to laugh and hugging tightly back. Nuzzling his face into the crook of his boyfriend’s neck and shoulder, lips teasing skin as he opened his mouth.
”Wonderful~” He purred. “Later tonight, would ya like to see the Southern lights again?”
"I'd love that, Isa~" said Moss, enjoying his teasing.
And so began a new nice hang out that they did together. Moss did nothing for that whole afternoon except happily have a steamy cuddle that left Isa spasming with pleasure, and read Thief of Hearts so that he can immediately begin reading together where Isa already was that night.
The cheesiness. Moss went all giddy and read out the lines when it was dramatic, "'Once upon a time there was a boy, who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering."' He mostly kept silent, and then react, looking at Isa to see how he was feeling when they would reach an interesting part of the story. "'Why, darling, I don't live at all when I'm not with you.'" Sometimes he would joke with him and tell him the lines as if he was the thief speaking to his maiden. "'When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew', oh, Isa~"