Title: We Should Be Lovers Instead
Fandom: Virtual Animated Streamer Characters
Rating: PG-13
Length: 3075 Words
Content notes: Based on a series of tweets and a clip during a stream where Shoto asked Baabel if he could kiss his hand because he thinks he's cute.
Author notes: Kemonomimi or animal/furry features involved! If not your cup of tea, sorry.
Summary: Shoto meets his crush at the airport, having rehearsed his confession speech and even learned some Thai for it, but all those plans come to naught in the face of how cute Baabel can be and a bad translation thanks to Google. He does get his kiss in the end, though, and comes one step closer to making Baabel his princess after all.

The airport terminal is bustling with people coming and going due to the summer holiday weekend and the cute, well-toned boy with dark hair and fluffy dog ears standing with a poster at the gates is no exception. He eagerly scans the influx of passengers with his tail wagging behind him in a slow, languid manner.

Today is the big day.

After months of chatting online and hosting gaming streams together, Shoto gets to meet his crush in-person. They had to overcome a language barrier and a few cultural hurdles, but their friendship is priceless, a true treasure. It's no secret that he has a thing for them, either, given how they met on Twitter.

"Oh, hey!" he calls as he waves to the other boy, spotting him as he wanders through the gate with his eyes as big as a fawn's. "Over here!"

His friend, a boy with curved horns and soft little sheep ears, glances around with a confused expression as he tries to find him in the throngs of people exiting his flight. His bright eyes bespeak a slight anxiety as they quiver and he starts to fidget with the straps of his backpack.

"Baabel!" Shoto calls to him and wades through the crowd to get to him at last. "Hey, I -- Are you okay?"

Both panicked and relieved, Baabel smiles up at him nervously to nod. "Y-Yes, thanks."

Shoto really wants to show his sign off but right now he's concerned about his foreign friend feeling overwhelmed, so he tucks the sign under one arm to offer Baabel his hand instead.

"Come on," he says with a nod of his head towards the exit. "Let's get you out of here first."

Baabel swallows his obvious fear and does his best to keep up with his friend's strides as they weave their way through the crowd. Shoto's hand is a lot bigger than he expected it to be, what with the way he acts so silly and flirtatious online, and he's a dog-boy besides. That grip is strong and comforting, and oh, so warm.

It feels nice, he thinks to himself as they head out of the airport and into the open air once more. Like hugging a warm blanket.

"How was your flight?" Shoto asks, excited as his tail swishes rapidly behind him. He suddenly remembers and holds up his sign with a grin. "Like it? I drew it last minute but the lil' sheep in the corner is supposed to be you."

Baabel laughs softly and traces the Sharpie-etched sheep. "He is small and cute."

"Your English has really improved, too!" Shoto notes with a toothy grin. "Wait 'til we get back to my place and I rizz you up with all the cheesy Thai pick-up lines I just learned. You'll fall for me all over again."

Blushing, Baabel avoids his gaze for a moment to focus on his suitcase instead, but as he bends down to pick it up, Shoto beats him to it.

"I've got that," says the dog-boy as he hefts the bag up in one hand. "What? Are you tired after your trip?"

Baabel marvels at just how strong his internet friend is.

Shoto slings the bag over one shoulder and lifts Baabel up with his other hand, freeing up space to let the sheep-boy perch in the crook of his arm.

"Just sit tight," Shoto tells him with a reassuring wink. "It's a short walk to the car."

"Daca will be jealous," Baabel pipes up as they stroll along. "Big brother has always wanted to see how strong Shoto-san really is and you carry me! So nice~"

Shoto chuckles at his friend's adorable, broken English. "Nah. You're the only one who gets special treatment. Daca can get someone else to cart his goofy ass around."

Baabel giggles. "Mad because he teases?"

"No," Shoto mutters and purses his lips. "Okay, yeah. Maybe."

"That's what makes Shoto-san cute. Not bad thing," Baabel says slowly and hugs his friend around the top of his head, patting him. "Oh!"

Shoto's huge, floofy tail swings wildly and almost whacks Baabel right in his face.

"Gah, fuck," growls the dog-boy as he glowers back at his own tail. "Sorry about that. It has a mind of its own."

Baabel is sorely tempted to touch it but refrains from doing so as not to embarrass his friend the way Daca and his other siblings did. He wraps his arms around Shoto's sturdy neck instead and takes a moment of respite for himself. Shoto smells really nice, what with his hair all clean and the subtlety of his cologne, and Baabel hums with contentment as they walk along the parking lot.

"Gonna set you down now, 'kay?"

Almost instantly, Baabel misses the warm and comforting embrace of his friend as the soles of his shoes touch the ground. He doesn't want to be clingy or annoying and beg for Shoto to pick him up again, so he just latches onto the end of Shoto's sleeve as a means of hanging onto him.

God, he's so FUCKING CUTE, Shoto thinks as he tosses his luggage into the backseat and summons every shred of willpower available to keep himself from pouncing on the poor sheep beside him in a hugging-tackle maneuver. We're just friends. That's what he thinks and that's what we'll be.

Until he enacts his master plan, that is.

"Let me get that for you," he says and circles around the passenger side of the car to open the door for Baabel. Once the other boy is safely seated, Shoto returns to open the driver side door so he can get situated himself. "Make sure you buckle up."

Baabel clicks his safety belt into place and adjusts it to fit his slender frame properly, tugging on it a little to be sure. His curiosity takes over and he folds his hands in his lap, eyes sparkling with wonder as he looks around the car and outside of his window.

"You have nice car, too,' he says in a small, soft voice and glances back at his friend with a dazzling smile. "Wish I did."

Shoto turns out of the parking lot and onto the highway. "Why not?"

Baabel's pretty smile creases slightly with his brows and he stares out of his window with a sigh. "Too nervous to drive? I could hurt someone."

"That's okay. You can be my passenger princess," Shoto flirts to lift the mood a little and he smiles for the both of them. "Anywhere you need to go, I'll take you while you're here. Anywhere at all."

Pointing at himself, Baabel parrots back at him, "Princess passenger?"

Shoto laughs and shakes his head. "No, you're my 'passenger princess.' That means you get to sit back and enjoy the ride while I drive you around wherever you want."

"Ohh. Like royalty?" Baabel makes the connection with his finger tapping against his chin and then color leaps across his face when he realizes. "I'm Shoto-san's princess?!"

Flinching at the wheel, Shoto glances over at his cute passenger and thinks about it for a minute. He murmurs, mostly to himself, "Would having a princess be so bad? I mean, I did say that I wanted to kiss your hand and..."

Baabel can feel his heart palpitating through his rib cage and threatening to thump right out of his chest if his friend continued shamelessly flirting with him. It helps that Shoto's curious gaze didn't linger for but a second but he still feels a little self-conscious and it shows in the way he fidgets with his hands in his lap.

"I'm sorry," Shoto apologizes after an awkward silence between them. "You're just here to visit and enjoy the States, as a friend, and I should be more respectful of that."

Even if you are the cutest and quietest and fluffiest thing and I can't keep my eyes off of you.

"My parents aren't home right now, so we can make as much noise as we want! They're out of town seeing relatives," Shoto explains as they near his house. "I planned your trip to sync up with it so that we could have the place to ourselves. You're kinda nervous around other people, right?"

Baabel smiles at his thoughtful planning and shakes his head. "I would love meeting parents. If they raised you, must be kind people."

"They are pretty great. I love 'em a lot," Shoto says fondly and pulls into the driveway. "Here we are! Huh?"

He gently takes Baabel's wrist as the other boy tries to open his door.

"I'll do it," he says with a wink and hops out of the car first to circle back around and open the door for his friend. He offers his hand down to Baabel and helps him out, gently pulling him to his feet. "Don't worry about your bags, either. I'll carry those."

Shoto's house is similar to those of his friend's that he'd stayed with back home, and maybe it's because he's simply with Shoto, but Baabel feels at home already. His hands relax without him realizing it and he follows Shoto straight through to his bedroom.

"Wahh. So comfy," he revels in the cozy feel of the carpet beneath his bare feet and the way it scrunches up between his toes. He wanders around while Shoto sets his bags aside and hops onto the bed with a chirp, "Just like in your streams! Bed is comfy, too."

Shoto can't help but laugh at the way the sheep bounces on his mattress with a big grin on his face.

"Guildie!" Baabel squeaks and picks up a plush toy from the corner near the pillows. He holds it up high in the air and brings it back down for a hug. "Ooh, I want a plush of Baabae, too! So cute."

"I know a friend who makes them. I could ask for you," Shoto offers and grabs a few controllers from the TV stand to sit down with his friend on the bed. "Wanna play some Valorant or Among Us? I ordered some pizza before we left the airport so it should be here soon, too."

Baabel pauses a moment in his merrymaking to sidle up to his friend and whisper, "You're wonderful host, always thinking ahead so quickly and kindly. Thank you."

Shoto feels the temperature rise a little with the close proximity and stammers, "O-Of course! I'm the one who invited you here and..."

"Could we watch movie? Play later?"

"Do you wanna continue Bleach? The new Blood War movie is supposed to come o0ut some time this year and I wanna catch you up on it!" Shoto exclaims excitedly and fumbles around the bed for the remote. "Uh, what?"

Baabel shrinks away from him and reveals his true motives with a small, guilty squeak, "I was...Oh. Your ears look soft and fluffy. I wanted to...I'm sorry."

One of Shoto's ears twitch and his tail starts wagging again at the idea of his friend wanting to see just how soft they were. Admittedly, he hates people touching them or his tail most of the time but his fascination with Baabel overrode that ick.

He wants the other boy to touch him.

"Go ahead," he says and scoots closer so that their legs touch on the bed. "I don't mind if it's you."

Baabel's eyes light up and he claps his hands together excitedly, bobbing his head in affirmation and gratitude. He knows how sensitive his friend is about certain fluffy body parts and this is quite a show of trust; it makes him feel so special.

"Ooh. So soft," he murmurs as he starts to caress the left ear. "Do you have to groom them like your hair?"

Shoto shrugs. "Not really. They just kinda stay that way after i get out of the shower and wash 'em with shampoo."

Baabel murmurs something in Thai and Shoto hurriedly types something into his phone, Google Translator at the ready as rehearsed earlier in the day before he was to meet Baabel at the airport.

“คุณสัมผัสหางฉันได้นะ," Shoto says in a low, quiet voice and surprises Baabel with the accuracy of his accent, far improved from the last time he attempted to speak Thai. "ฉันต้องการให้คุณ."

"S-Shoto-san!" Baabel gasps and draws back with his hands balled up near his chest, heart pounding again. "You...You want me?!"

The dog-boy realizes his fuck-up with a reverse translation and curses the app, tossing his phone aside. He pads across the bed and tries to explain, "I meant that I wanted you to touch my tail, too! Not that I...Well, I mean, I do but not until you're ready! I..."

An awkward silence passes between them and all of Shoto's confession rehearsals, planning, and rizz go right out the fucking window.

"You like me?"

Shoto looks up from the floor with a start. "Um, yeah. Always have."

Baabel relaxes a little when he sees the other boy struggling and it feels so familiar. He crawls over to him and touches his face, petting his cheek.

"You're cute," he whispers and smiles at him. "When we met, your flirting was lots and I felt really shy. Used to it now but you were so confident."

Shoto laughs at himself. "Now I'm all tsundere."

"I like this side of you, too." Baabel scoots a little closer and pets the top of his head, giggling at how he melts under his touch. "All of Shoto-san is cute."

Loving the attention, the dog-boy rubs against his hand and lets his tail fall right onto Baabel's lap. His insides turn to goo as Baabel obliges him with another airy laugh and he strokes his tail, making sure not to go against the pattern of his fur to keep him calm. His touches are feathery-soft and Shoto practically falls asleep next to him.

"Can I, um...Can I touch your ears?"

Baabel glances at him, still unsure, but ultimately decides that yes, he does want a touch more intimacy with his friend. He shyly ducks his head and leans in.

"Whoa. Your fleece," Shoto gasps in awe as he pets one of the sheep-boy's ears. "God, it's so soft. Like hugging a cashmere sweater."

No one EVER touches the sheep's ears because of his anxiety but having Shoto caress them just makes all of his doubt and fear slip away. His touch almost has an opioid effect in that it numbs him to anything else outside of Shoto's attention to him.

It's nice to be pampered and admired.

Loved.

Baabel doesn't even realize that he's snuggling into Shoto's side or nuzzling their cheeks together through his revelry.

“ผมขอจูบมือคุณได้ไหม?” Shoto whispers against his skin in a reminder of their first meeting.

Turning a little to look at him, Baabel doesn't even have to give it thought this time, he just blushes and nods. "Yes, please."

Giddy, Shoto takes Baabel's hand in his and lifts the back of it to his lips for a gentle caress. He lingers longer than he should for 'friends' and purposely glances up to wink at his crush afterwards.

"You taste sweeter than I thought you would," he murmurs and gives Baabel's hand another kiss to confirm said statement. "Not that I want to eat you or anything. Hah. Not what I meant."

Baabel's face is so red that he could pass for a tomato.

The doorbell rings and literally saves him, though. Shoto excuses himself and blows a kiss to Baabel before leaving the room, promising to continue 'where they left off' when he returns.

Baabel brings the hand that Shoto kissed close to his face and he sighs. There's always sensory overload when the dog-boy is involved, but now that they're face-to-face, it's quite intense. He picks up the Guildie plush he dropped into his lap and kisses its cheek, trying to practice for later.

"I know Guildie is cute," comes a voice from the doorway and Baabel suddenly spots his friend standing there, pizza box in hand and a cute smirk on his lips, "but I'm WAY better at kissing than they are."

Giggling, Baabel hums, "Oh? I'm not sure."

Shoto's eyes widen with surprise at the flirting coming his way this time and he sets the pizza down on the bed to sit near Baabel again instead.

"Can I have a chance to prove myself?"

Baabel holds Guildie up for a moment as if to confer with them and then he nods, resting against the headboard of the bed. He wags his finger and Shoto crawls over on his hands and knees, starved for affection yet again.

"One chance," Baabel says teasingly and offers his cheek. "We will see."

Shoto gulps hard and kisses his crush on the cheek, so soft and warm his skin is on his lips. He pulls away from the sheep-boy's cheek with a wet pop and he nuzzles the skin there for good measure, sighing.

"Y-You kiss Guildie, too. Jealous," murmurs Baabel nervously as he holds the plush toy up in front of his face to disguise just how flushed he is again. Shoto just gently moves it away and places Guildie on the bed beside him. "I-I..."

"It's okay," Shoto says knowingly and scoops Baabel up into his arms. They move across the bed towards the middle and he settles down with Baabel in his lap. "Wanna start the movie now and eat? You're probably hungry."

Baabel nods and kisses Shoto's cheek as he turns to open the pizza box, surprising him. "You're considerate."

Shoto flashes him a warm smile and doesn't hide how content he feels, what with his tail swinging softly behind them on the bed. He brings Baabel's face closer again and pops a big "Mwah!" onto his cheek in like fashion.

"And you're cute," he says right back, grinning as their noses touch. “คุณเป็นคนน่ารักที่สุดในโลก.”

Baabel squeals and buries his face into the crook of Shoto's neck, clearly thrilled and embarrassed at the same time.

Shoto just laughs and hugs him tighter.