it is the sound that wakes him. his eyelids flutter, but he does not open them. with the smallest groan, he stirs and rubs his face on his makeshift pillow.

he does not pull away. a yawn eventually teases his eyes open and the sniffles of his awakening segue into his slumber-laden speech.

"did you just take a picture of me?" noah's head is still heavy on the other's shoulder. "i'm gonna have to charge you some pokedollars for that one... only subscribers get access to sleeping pics."

a shaky claw slithers out from his side and reaches for kyle's phone. no real attempt is made to truly retrieve it. instead, his fingertips meet the phone's back or kyle's shirt in slight pawing.

kyle lopez

"oh y'know,"

noah body warms up. loosening by the second, he stretches his shoulders like a man breaking out of stone- or a wingull gliding across the blue.

"bro, you can't just bait me like that. 'sides, you've seen everything of me anyway."

he stretches his legs too- but his shins strike underneath the chair in front of him. the limitations of economy. but he'd forgo comfort for kyle's penny pinching and his proximity. the latter is enough comfort anyway.

"but i'll still take the pd." noah says with an open palm extended. "or you can give me a kiss." he puckers his lips: an exaggerated fish glubbing in water.

kyle lopez

lodged in between kyle's hands, noah doesn't move. he lets his cupped face warm the other's palms. in the stillness, noah's features become a momentary portrait. there is time and space for admiration— if not, the warm engraving of memory.

finally, noah takes the bait. it's a quick one. his lips tickle the other's and pull away like a soft stamp. "you're really cute when you get embarrassed, dude. that's probably why you wanna stay home all the time." noah jests, stirring about cocky airs with his voice, "'cause you don't want me to be all loveydovey in public. i get it, man."

the plush dratini remains sleeping around his neck.

kyle lopez

noah's hand is soft, save for the tough skin built from weight training. when toyed with, all strength leaves his hand. his fingers curl up like light ferns tickled by one radiant sun.

"okay i thought so," noah's smirk curls up too. he closes his eyes, "i'll behave! goody two-shoes noah for the rest of the flight."

he rips his hand away. leaning his seat backward, noah challenges kyle with inaction. as if a mr. mime had erected walls around him, noah stares straight ahead at the untouched media screen.

kyle lopez

the airplane's entertainment panel still reads: "touch anywhere." noah supposes he should turn something on—but kyle passes by like a mirage. the unlatching of his boyfriend's belt tempts him to unlatch his own.

and he does, anyway. noah surmises his legs need the circulation. besides—he justifies and justifies—it's best to leave the seats together and return together for uncramped convenience.

noah walks past the aisles of slumbering passengers before finally reaching kyle in the back.

he whispers, "agh, alright. you win." noah massages his neck, "i'm not good at giving the silent treatment. just stretching your legs?"

kyle lopez

"um, hell yeah, i do."

noah keeps the door open, a defiant hand grasping its edge. briefly, the gym leader seems serious. the familiar countenance of his, so mischievous and daring, threatens kyle's so-called limits.

as noah leans in, submerging past the forbidden boundary, he whispers in kyle's ear, "but we can save that for johto." his withdraw leaves a wake of laughter.

pushing his back against the wall, noah sighs. a flight attendant stares from their seat with meals.

kyle lopez