Runeterran Romance by Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underaged characters and sexual content. You have been warned.
A few weeks had passed since the coming and going of the Bandlewood Festival. Life had returned to normal in Bandle City and with it, the goings at school had gone back to a more monotonous repetition of much the same. Spring was now in full swing and the leaves had taken on their different shades of green. Life had sprung anew and the animal life was bustling all around the bandlewood.
Bandlewood Academy was soon about to gear up for the much anticipated Spring Break. It was one of the few times of the year when the Cubs got consecutive days off. It was also the first time Hailun would be participating in it since back in Ionia the days off had been regimented into a different schedule. As such when it was initially announced, it was something he wasn't expecting.
The days were beginning to wind down. A large calendar had been set up in the cafeteria where the students were periodically crossing out the days one by one. Nearly all of them had begun coming up with plans as for what they wanted to do. For Hailun…this wasn't the case. He'd had a lot going on the past few weeks. He'd attended the Bandle Scouts regularly and had been trying to hang out with Gnar more often.
As such, he hadn't developed much of a plan. The last week of school before the break, that was to change. It was early in the morning one day in front of Bandlewood Academy. He was with most of his friends. Kennen, Gnar, and Teemo were all there along with Tristana who had become a part of the mostly male group through her boyfriend. Yet it didn't bother them since Teemo wasn't about to estrange her from anything he did.
"So…what does everyone have planned for the break?" Teemo asked as he was certain everyone would have plans already.
Kennen thought about it for a second. "I have Kendo practice…so I still have to come to school a few days a week. But other than that…I have no plans."
"You sure about that, lover boy?" Tristana bumped him with a playful grin on her face.
The brown-furred boy rolled her eyes at him but made no response to her jest.
The red panda smirked at the joke. "I don't have any plans yet."
"Shubbanuffa. Haygo Vayo." Gnar chirped happily.
Most of them, except for Tristana understood Gnar's speech pattern now.
"You guys are welcome to hang with us. Maybe we can do another double date if you like." The smallest boy offered since he didn't have much planned himself.
The bigger boy looked at his boyfriend. "We could do that if Hai is up for it."
"Sure, whenever is cool with me." Hailun was up for anything.
Teemo smiled. "Sounds good…but we should do something else other than that."
"I was thinking of trying to go into the Bandlewood…I've never been through most of it except when Veigar abandoned me inside it." The red panda made the first suggestion that came to mind.
The bigger boy murmured a bit. "We could do that. It's safer if you go with others. You can count me in."
Tristana nudged Kennen again who just smiled at her. She was happy he was so open about his relationship now.
"Sounds like a date to me…Well, you two have fun. We're going to head to class." Teemo chuckled a bit.
Gnar headed off on his own, seemingly to find someone. Teemo and Tristana soon followed, leaving the two boys alone.
"Come on, Ken. Let's head in too so we're not late." Hailun offered his hand to the other boy who gladly took it in his own.
The two walked together back towards the building. Going inside it, the halls were more vacant than normal. Many of the students had already gone on break early so there was less of them about. Hailun and Kennen went their separate ways since they still only shared one class. It wasn't until lunchtime that they got to see each other again.
Later that afternoon, Hailun made a conscious effort to try out for the Kendo team. He'd been talking about it Kennen for a while now but never gone through the actual tryout process. He wanted to surprise his boyfriend so he didn't tell him about it. The red panda knew that the team was scheduling tryouts today since there was a placard outside the sparring arena. It was scheduled to happen during lunch.
Hailun left lunch early with the excuse that he needed to go turn something in that he'd forgotten to do. No one questioned it since they'd been given more than enough assignments for the day despite it only being a few days from the break itself. The red-furred yordle made his way down the halls with his bag. He was stuffed from eating but figured he could put up with a cramp if he got one. So he powered through his indecision on the matter as he'd made a promise to himself.
The cub reported to the sparring arena. Only a few of the other students were there and they were currently at the center of it. He was greeted by one of the coaches who was registering newcomers. He wrote Hailun's name down on the list and told the cub to go grab a Kendo stick and face mask. No newcomers were being given robes since they weren't familiar with the mechanics of the sport.
The red panda yordle was soon told to sit down and wait his turn. He was assured that if he was late to his final class he'd be given a pass. After all the sport was school-sanctioned and had worked it out with administration. Besides…it was only days from the break and no teachers were giving serious work. However, the students didn't know that it may as well have been just another day for them.
Hailun waited until it was his turn. It was just a few rounds of other students until he was called up. The sensei was at the front of the class. A taller yordle than anything he'd ever seen with long flowing hair that hung down her back. She motioned to him to take one side of the arena. He was to spar against another newcomer. They were both given a rundown of the rules and instructed to pull down their masks to prepare for the bout ahead.
The sensei stepped to the side as she swiped her hand down. This was the signal for the fight to begin. Hailun had used a kendo stick before in his combat class so he was familiar with it enough to know how to use it. Stepping around in a circle he padded ever forward to the other student who was opposite him. Hailun waited for the other cub to make a move as he'd followed the Wing-chun's defensive techniques since he was first taught to wield a blade.
The other cub soon made a move, coming in over the head with a jump. Hailun struck from underneath, parrying the blow with a swift strike. Following up with a second tap on the other cub's chest. The kendo stick had been padded so it made a light thud when it hit his target. The other cub huffed as he made another attempt at hitting Hailun from the side. Once again the red panda yordle deflected the blow, sending the katana right out of its wielder's hand.
"Game, set, match. Very well done. What is your name, young man?" The woman approached him from the side of the room where she was watching.
Hailun shook the other boy's hand while looking at her. "My name is Hailun."
"You are quite the little swordsman. We would love to have you on the team." She folded her arms expectantly.
The red panda cub smiled at her. "Cool, I'd love to join. Thanks for having me."
"Practice is on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can join us after the break. We will give you a kendo robe when you report for your first practice." She took both of the boy's kendo sticks from them.
The victor nodded. "Sounds good. Count me in."
"See you after the break then." The woman bowed to him as both boys handed her their masks.
Hailun headed out of the sparring arena and back into the halls. The bell hadn't rang yet for his final class of the day so he just made his way there rather than go back to the mess hall. It wasn't much longer before his next class started. The rest of his day went like normal. He went by rather quickly with an outing during his last class of the day. When the final bell for the day rang, he made his way back to the front of the school.
The red panda headed his way outside. Hailun started to look around for Kennen in hopes of finding him. He decided to wait by the tree where Poppy usually hung out. The girl showed up with Lulu but the two of them didn't stop by to see him since they had plans. The brown-furred yordle soon appeared with Tristana. The two of them appeared to be quite chummy with each other, though they parted ways when Kennen saw his boyfriend.
"Hiya, Hai. What do you have planned today?" Kennen had an idea he thought the other boy would like.
The smaller boy thought about it a moment before responding. "Just some homework why?"
"I was thinking…since you said you wanted to check out the Bandlewood maybe we could do it today if you want?" The bigger yordle put his arm around the other boy in an attempt to coax him to accept the invitation.
Hailun smiled at him. "Sure, we could do that. Just us?"
"Yup…just us. Shall we?" The brown-furred cub offered the boy his hand.
The other boy gladly took it on his own. "Yeah, we still need to be back before dinner though. I don't think my parents will mind if I'm late"
"Yeah, mine either. Let's go." Kennen started to take the lead as they began to head off away from the school grounds.
The trek to the Bandlewood wasn't long. Bandle City had long ago established routes that yordle travelers could walk through. They were essentially safer trails to avoid the otherwise unwieldy wilds of the forest. Kennen had been through them a few times but not recently enough to remember what they were like. Still, he was looking forward to spending time with his boyfriend.
They made their way past the boundary of Bandle City. A large sign indicated that they were in the forest and to "Beware". Of course, there were magical wards in place that protected the sanctioned routes but sometimes it wasn't enough to stop wayward beasts who themselves had magic within them. Still, they
were safe enough that the routes hadn't been closed. Though the city had patrols running through each of them just in case.
Hailun and Kennen entered the route. The clouded shroud of leafy shade soon covered their trail. A small amount of sun filtered through the area but it was enough for them to see where they were going.
"So…where are we going?" The red panda asked as he assumed the other boy knew where he was going and had some sort of plan.
Kennen shrugged. "Probably the lake. It would be nice to revisit it…It should be warm this time of year if you'd like to swim."
"But…we don't have swim trunks." Hailun blushed a bit at the thought of skinny dipping.
The brown-furred boy shook his head. "We can just go in our underwear. Come on…it'll be fun and a nice way to cool off."
"Yeah, alright. That does sound relaxing." The smaller boy wasn't about to turn down his boyfriend's suggestion.
The two cubs continued to walk into the thick of the Bandlewood. The further they went in, the less light filtered through the canopy above. Yet, there was still plenty of it to illuminate their path as they pressed ever forward. They remained locked in hands the entire time, separated by little more than a meter despite there being enough space for them to separate themselves. Occasionally an animal would skitter across the ground or they would hear it scamper through the branches above.
Hailun and Kennen would continue down the dirt-laden path through the forest. The trees on either side of them were massive with low-hanging fruits dangling off the branches. An occasional breeze pushed through the area, ruffling the less dense branches and canopies above. Some of the remaining miscolored leaves continued to scatter across the floor, though few of them were present.
The path winded back and forth, taking twists and turns around the trees. The yordles of the bandlewood did not believe in cutting back the trees or shrubs and so most of the place was overgrown with greenery. The path that cut through it was naught but dirt that had been laid down as a sort of guide. It had to be maintained and was by no means permanent. Yet, it was kept in good shape as the wayward yordle tour through the woods was all but common.
They arrived at the lake before long. The two of them approached the lake and looked at it. The water was serine with but a few ripples on the surface of it. Kennen broke from Hailun and approached the small pool of water. He leaned down and dipped the tip of his finger into it to see if it was cold or not. The water didn't seem to be very cold but still had a chilled temperature as he lifted his finger from it.
The brown-furred boy began to unbutton his school blazer. "Come on the water seems nice."
Hailun nodded and followed suit. The red panda removed his upper half leaving him bare-chested. Kennen couldn't help but smirk at him as he sat down to begin taking off his shoes and socks. The smaller cub walked over to him, placing his blazer and undershirt on a twig as if it were a hanger. The red panda sat right next to him and nuzzled into him a bit. The bigger yordle blushed a bit.
"Come on…get undressed. I want to swim." Kennen wiggled his toes once they were free of his socks.
The smaller cub smiled and removed his shoes and socks before peeling down his pants. Before long both boys were in nothing but their underwear. Hailun wearing some orange boxers while Kennen was wearing blue striped ones. The brown-furred boy got up and helped his boyfriend do the same. The bigger yordle guided his boyfriend over to the lake and the two of them began to walk into the shallow end of the water.
The water soon became deep enough that they could wade through it. Stroking their arms forward and kicking their legs so they could maintain themselves above water.
"Wanna race?" Kennen said with a slight grin on his face.
Hailun rolled his eyes a bit knowing he would lose but played along all the same. "Sure. I'm game."
"Alright…on zero…to the other side of the lake and back." The brown-furred boy began to count down.
The two of them soon shot off and began swimming towards the other end of the lake. Of course, Kennen pulled forward within moments but he wasn't going full speed as to give the cub a chance. The brown-furred yordle wasn't as strong as a swimmer as he was with running. Even still he pulled ahead with little effort. The two of them continued until they had to rotate on the opposite side of the pond.
Kennen and Hailun continued to race with the red panda trying to keep up with his boyfriend. The bigger boy finished several seconds before his boyfriend. Hailun huffed as he stood back up once he had finished the two laps.
"Good race…." He said with a slight smile on his face.
Kennen splashed him gently. "Yup…you did good trying to keep up with me."
"I guess but still…I had fun." Hailun pushed a bit of water forward splashing the other cub back.
A water war soon ensued with both of them splashing each other back and forth. Neither of them seemed bothered by the fact that they were already soaking wet. Wave after wave the two of them splashed each other. Soon Kennen lept forward and tackled the other boy, sending them spiraling under the water. Each of them rotated about as their bodies remained in tandem as they rolled about.
They emerged soon after with both cubs having a goofy grin on their faces. Kennen leaned in to kiss the other boy and then laid back, allowing himself to float on the water. Hailun tried relaxing himself the same way and struggled a bit to float. It took him a few seconds to figure it out but once he did he had no issue in floating alongside the other cub. The two of them joined hands again seeming content to be forever locked in tandem.
Kennen and Hailun remained that way for some time. Time frittered away with no sense of passing since much of the sunlight was obscured from entering. When Kennen finally began to grow antsy, he stood up and treaded water a bit.
"Maybe we should head out and dry up. We've been here a while and neither of us told our parents we were coming here…" The brown-furred cub realized the problem at hand.
Hailun straightened up. "Yeah, you're probably right. Let's head out."
The two of them began to swim towards the shore. They were pretty close to it so it didn't take very long before they arrived back in shallow water. Each of them stepped out of it with their fur and bodies soaking wet from head to toe. Kennen led them back over to where they had put their clothing. Each of them grabbed it but didn't bother to put it on just yet since they were still wet.
"Let's head back home…I have no idea what time it is and we can dry up on the way back. That way our parents don't worry about us." Kennen suggested saving time.
Hailun nodded as he agreed with the idea. They rejoined hands and began walking together. Following along the same dirt trail on which they had come in. The way back didn't take as long since they were walking a bit faster than before. Still, by the time they emerged from the thickness of the Bandlewood, their fur had dried a bit.
"We should get dressed so we don't walk around in our underwear. My fur is still damp but yeah…I'd rather not walk around in just my boxers." Hailun murmured a bit at the thought of it.
Kennen sat down on the ground and began changing back into his clothes. The red panda did the same, though the remaining water on their body quickly dampened their uniform tops and slacks. Once they had changed back to their school stuff, they got back up. They soon continued out of the forest and back into the more open area. The brightness of the sun peered down on them, making them squint a bit as their eyes tried to readjust to it.
"Hey, Ken. Maybe if your parents are alright with it…Would you like to come over for dinner? My parents want to get to know you better.
The bigger boy thought about it for a second. "I'm sure they would be fine with it. Let's hit my place first and find out."
The two of them began to make their way to Kennen's home. It was starting to get dark out and the candle-lit lanterns were already starting to light up for nighttime. They walked quickly as they were certain their parents would yell at them for being late. Suddenly it didn't seem like such a good idea to be out anymore. Hailun and Kennen couldn't help but rush as they wanted to get there sooner rather than later.
They arrived at Kennen's home before long. "I'll be right back…You can wait here."
Hailun waited patiently for a few moments, uncertain of how the boy's parents would respond. It was a short while before the brown-furred yordle returned.
"So what did they say?" Hailun asked as his ears perked up in curiosity.
Kennen looked to the ground and shuffled his feet. "Sorry…I can't. They are pretty steamed I came home late. I promise we can do it another day, alright? I'll see you tomorrow. "
The brown-furred yordle made his way inside. Hailun felt a bit disgruntled but he knew why this had happened. He was all but certain he would get the same treatment. Quickly he made his way back to his house, running as fast as his feet would take him. The red panda was able to make it home in just a little over half the time it usually took him. When he arrived, he had to stop to catch his breath before letting himself inside.
His father heard the door open and immediately came to see what had happened. "Where have you been all day? We were worried sick."
"I went with Kennen and we walked in the woods to the lake." Hailun said meekly with his hands behind his back.
The man frowned. "Why didn't you tell us? We were worried sick about you."
"I didn't think about it and time sort of got away from us…" The red panda sulked, looking down to the floor.
The father huffed. "I mean it's good you have fun with him but still…you need to tell us
these things."
"I'm sorry, Dad. Am I in trouble?" The boy looked up at the bigger man.
The older yordle looked over to his wife who was sitting down on the sofa. "What do you think?"
"I am indifferent. Boys will be boys and we already know how he feels about that boy." The woman didn't see the point of punishment.
Her husband thought about it for a second. "You will do extra chores tonight. Don't let it happen again."
"Under one circumstance, Hailun. I don't want this to happen ever again. Next time tell us before you go out with anyone." His mother peered over the sofa.
Hailun nodded. "Okay, Mom. I promise."
"Dinner is waiting for you on the table. It might be cold but you can heat it. You will be responsible for dishes after." The father pointed him to the kitchen.
The cub shuffled off his shoes and made his way to the kitchen. He saw a small bowl of something on it. The boy put it on a hot plate before making himself something to drink. It didn't take very long for it to heat up. Grabbing it and blowing on it after waiting a few minutes for it to warm up. He sat down alone to eat. It wasn't the first time he'd eaten alone but it still felt strange all the same.
The meal was delicious despite having sat out on the table for a while. Hailun finished his meal and cleaned up after himself. Busying himself with the dishes. There were quite a few of them tonight. Almost as if his parents had planned on it. Though he wasn't about to complain about it. After all…he got to spend all night with Kennen, even if he didn't get to have dinner with the other boy.
Once he was done, he padded back out of the room and stopped by to apologize to his parents.
"Sorry again Mom and Dad….dishes are done." He said softly.
His mother and father were just sitting down together watching the fire pit. Hailun thought it was strange they had the thing going since it was warm out.
"It's alright. We know you like that boy. That's perfectly fine. We just want to know next time that you go out." His father repeated a different version of the same thing they discussed earlier.
The red panda cub approached the sofa. "Do you think he can come over tomorrow for dinner?"
"Certainly. As long as his parents are alright with it." His mother responded soon after.
The boy chirped. "Thanks, Mom and Dad. I'll ask him tomorrow and see what his parents say."
Hailun continued to his room. He was tired from the long day but he knew he had homework. Deciding to work on it before he went to bed that night. The cub sat down at his desk to begin working on it. The assignment wasn't that difficult and he was able to finish it without much of an issue. Once he was finished he put it away and went about taking a shower to get washed up.
The cub stripped himself of his clothes in the shower before stepping inside. He spent longer than normal inside. His mind thinking about Kennen and school tomorrow. About having dinner together and spending time with one another. His mind snapped out of it before long…soon going back to the task at hand of washing himself. After stepping out he dried himself and got into his pajamas.
The rest of the night was pretty quiet for him. His body relaxed the moment he lay down on the bed. The cub's eyes rested before long and falling into the sleep realm. A restful night full of dreams…of his possible future to come. Of what may lie in his relationship with the other boy. A sort of fantasy of what he thought might be possible. He slept soundly through the night until the next morning.
Hailun awoke to the smell of fresh breakfast in the morning. The aroma of powdered pancakes and syrup could be smelt from his room. The mere tantalizing odor of it was enough to get him out of his bed. Outside he could hear the light tapping of something on the window. Looking over at it, he saw it was raining quite heavily. A few dark clouds scattered in the skies with no light visible between them.
The boy was soon called to the kitchen by his parents. He didn't bother to change just yet as it was still early and he had some time for school. The cub rushed to the kitchen to see what the occasion was. When he arrived, he found Kennen was there with both of his parents. It appeared they were invited over by his family. Hailun was more than surprised to find his boyfriend there…let alone with his family.
"Kennen? Mom and Dad….what is this about?" Hailun asked as he was suspicious of it.
His mother spoke softly. "We figured it was about time we met his family. He seems to be special to you so we invited them over."
"I uh…" The red panda cub wasn't sure of what to say.
The brown-furred yordle looked just as uncomfortable as he was about the whole situation. Kennen remained silent about it for the time being.
"Go get changed….so we can eat breakfast with your friend and his family." His father suggested since his son was still in his pajamas.
Hailun nodded. He did feel a little silly about standing there in his pajamas. The cub headed back to his room and changed out of his pajamas and into his school clothes. The boy felt a bit nervous about his boyfriend and his family being there. Though he knew there was no way he was getting out of it now. He slowly made his way back up front to the kitchen.
Back inside the kitchen, he noticed the extended family had made space for him right next to Kennen. Both of their parents assumed it would be more comfortable for them if they sat together. Of course, Hailun couldn't help but feel nervous about whatever was going on but even still he sat down right next to his boyfriend. The red panda's mother soon got up from the table to begin serving the pancakes she'd made for them this morning.
The red panda boy's mother and father had worked all morning in preparing this breakfast. It was supposed to be a surprise for them. Yet the two cubs seemed to be quite nervous all of a sudden. Both of them looked down, expecting to be interrogated or something similar. Soon the mother served up some fruit while her husband served up the drinks. They soon rejoined the rest of them at the table.
"So…from what we understand you boys are a couple now. We just figured we should meet each other." Both groups of parents had been talking about it for a while but hadn't gone through with it.
Neither Hailun nor Kennen spoke. They remained silent and looked at each other as if uncertain what to do about the situation.
"So I hope you boys know we are fine with it. We just want you to know we support you guys okay?" Kennen's father said trying to be empathetic about it.
The brown-furred cub looked at Hailun and then over to his father. It seemed to him that they weren't getting out of this predicament. The food in front of them began to cool. Both groups of parents were unsure of where to go from here. They thought this would go much better than it was.
"Alright…we won't keep at it. You boys eat your food so it doesn't get cold." Neither group of parents was that adamant about finding out the truth of the matter.
Kennen began to feebly eat as his stomach was rumbling rather loudly by this point. This was enough to get the other cub to eat. Both of them relaxed before long as the interrogation seemed to have ended without any real result. The two didn't look at each other. It was far too awkward a moment for them as they sat there in silence. Instead, the parents continued to chat about nothing particular as the boys remained quiet.
The rest of the breakfast went much the same way. Kennen and Hailun remained silent the entire time. The parents continued to chat about nothing specific. They had completely forgotten about confronting the two cubs about their rather obvious relationship. When the meal was over…both of the boys couldn't help but be relieved as they were sent off on their way to school.
"That…was weird. What was that about?" Kennen asked the moment they got outside.
Hailun shrugged. "I guess….they know about us. I mean…we spend a lot of time together….haha."
"Maybe. I suppose we'll have to talk to them about it sooner or later….I'm not looking forward to that…" The bigger boy huffed.
The red panda cub sighed. "Me either…but I guess we're off the hook for now. Come on."
Of course, both boy's parents knew all too well what was going on. It was no longer an inkling of a suspicion. They had seen the two cubs hug and kiss a few times. It was all too apparent that they were a couple. Both groups of them just wanted the boys to admit their affection for each other. Still, It was something that they weren't quite ready for.
Hailun and Kennen made their way to school together. The two of them joined hands, feeling more comfortable now that they weren't under the vigilant watch of their parents. They arrived at the front of the school before long to the familiar sight of many of the other yordle students out front. It was a warm day out and the sun was piercing through the clouds. Kennen soon noticed his old friend Poppy at her usual spot and decided to hang out with her.
The red panda decided to leave them be as he figured it had been a while since they talked. Hailun figured he could hang out with someone else for the time being. After all, he didn't want to spend every waking moment with his boyfriend. The red-furred boy made his way to the side of the building where Amumu and Rumble were hanging out. The two seemed to be sitting together under a tree.
Hailun walked past them as he didn't want to disturb what seemed like a sweet moment for them. Continuing to the back of the building, he looked around for anyone else he might know. There were no signs of Teemo or Gnar so he figured he'd just hang out alone. Instead going back inside the building to waste some time. He spent the rest of the morning by himself and just finished off some last-minute homework that he'd forgotten about last night.
The
early morning was pretty slow for the red panda. His first few classes were winding things down in preparation for the break. Once again they were given busy work. It was rather obvious too. Some of the students even went as far as to skip out on doing the assignment since they figured it didn't matter. Hailun went through the motions of it since he didn't want to get in trouble and risk his time off during his upcoming break.
During the first break between classes, Hailun was approached by Teemo. Teemo had been hard at work planning their double date and wanted to check up on him to see if he and his boyfriend still wanted to go.
"Hey, Teemo. How's it going?" The bigger boy asked his friend.
Teemo shrugged. "It's good. How about you?"
"Well, enough. What's up?" Hailun asked as he shuffled his backpack into his bag.
The smaller yordle smiled at him. "I was wondering if you and Kennen still wanted to do the whole double date thing. Tristana and I are going this afternoon."
"That should be fine. I'll make sure with Kennen and both of our parents later. Thanks for inviting us." Hailun gave the other yordle a friendly hug.
Teemo smirked at the show of affection. "No problem. See you later then."
Hailun continued on his way down the hall to make his way to the next class. Alchemy was one of his least favorites and he hated how the classroom sometimes smelled. Upon entering the room he found it vacant, more than surprised that no one else had arrived. He waited a few moments and still no one showed. The boy decided to see if he could figure out what was going on. He felt certain he was out of the loop about something.
The red panda made his way through the halls and looked around for someone to ask. There was no one in the halls. Only some bags lined up on each side of the walls on both sides of the room. He figured everyone had to be outside and felt stupid for not knowing this sooner. Quickly he made his way outside in hopes of catching them for whatever it was the students were doing without him.
Once he was outside Hailun realized what was going on. The students were all outside and having recess. Running about without a care in the world. Immediately Hailun dropped his bag and joined them. Leaving whatever worries or stresses he might have had behind. He didn't care much who he joined. He just wanted in on the fun.
Hailun and some of the other yordles played tag for a while. He didn't know any of them. Most of them were older and bigger than he was. But none of that mattered now. He was simply enjoying the moment. Time flew by with no more classes being held. Of course, the cubs who participated did not play tag the entire time. Each of them laughing throughout it all, none of them getting tired.
Lunch would come before long. It had been a leisurely day for many cubs. But for Hailin and the students who played around, they were a bit tired. Heading into the lunch room they confided a bit about their game. Soon they separated their ways so that each of them could go to their friend groups. After all none of them knew each other outside of that moment.
Hailun worked his way into the lunch room. He looked around to see who he could see was already there. Kennen was still hanging around with Poppy. The red panda decided to join him once he grabbed food. So he waited in line until he was served. He was still a bit hot from outside but was cooling down no so it wasn't quite as bad as it was when he first came into the building. However, the fans in the room certainly made it more bearable.
After he got his food, he made his way over to where Poppy and Kennen sat, sitting opposite of them to not intrude on whatever they were talking about. They waved to him the moment they saw him coming over.
"Hey, Poppy and Kennen. How was your day?" Hailun asked before joining them at the table.
Poppy shrugged. "Hiya, Hero. Been a while. Spending all your time with lover boy here?"
"Hey…that's not fair." Kennen nudged his best friend.
She smirked. "But you know it's true. Don't you?"
The brown-furred boy smiled lightly but didn't respond.
"I thought so. Anyways. It's been great today. All the free time is nice. No tests…No real work. Just time to chill." She nudged Kennen a bit.
Kennen shook his head at her remaining quiet while he ate the food in front of him. Poppy had been talking to him all day and knew what was up but Hailun was suspecting something. Still, he said nothing as he began eating his food.
"Isn't there something you want to ask your little boyfriend, Ken?" She nudged Kennen again.
The boy next to her looked uncomfortable. "No."
"Oh nonsense. Just tell him or I'll do it for you." Poppy had a serious look on her face.
The smaller boy rolled his eyes. "Fine. Hailun. I have something to ask you."
"Yeah, Kennen?" Hailun looked up expecting nothing.
Kennen sighed. "I was wondering if it was alright if we could go on a date sometime. It's been a while since we have gone on an actual date."
"Actually…Teemo invited us on another double date if your game. I was going to ask you anyhow so if you want to then that works perfectly." The red panda cub smiled at the kind gesture.
The brown-furred boy thought about it a moment. "Oh, sure. I don't see why not."
"Cool. They want to go after school…so make sure to ask your parents so we don't have issues again, alright?" Hailun didn't want to face the wrath of either boy's parents again.
Poppy nudged him again. "I told you that you had nothing to worry about, lover boy. I told you he'd say yes without hesitation."
"Yeah…yeah. Whatever, Pops." The smaller yordle forced a smile.
The red-furred boy chuckled at the two's antics. "Alright. Well…I'll meet you after school then."
The rest of lunch went by pretty quickly with them finishing their meals. Hailun remained silent as the two close friends continued to catch up with one another. He didn't want to disturb them since he knew they were good friends. Besides he knew he could spend time with Kennen later. The cub began to look forward to the date he was going to have with his boyfriend.
School closed out with the last period of the day still being rather low-key. Their activity for the day was nothing but a big tug of war. Of course with the number of cubs present in the class, it was a much bigger ordeal than the coaches had initially planned. However, they made the whole event much more enticing by telling the young yordles that the winner of the competition would be awarded an ice cream party.
Hailun and his classmates turned to the school field where they were assorted into groups. The red panda found himself grouped with Amumu and some other yordles he didn't know. The students clustered together as the sheer number of them was a lot for the small space of the field. Each of the groups had to wait their turn until they were called with the coaches giving their team's name to make things slightly easier.
It was a short while until Hailun's group was called up. The fae group had been designated a light purple with each of them given a small flag to put on their waist to make it easier to who was on what team. The red panda filed in behind his friend Amumu as he took his place among the other students on the rope line. The rope soon began taute as both sides were told by the coaches to hold tight. Within moments the whistle was blown and they began tugging on both ends of it.
The teams struggled back and forth. Swaying in both directions, not seeming to give way to one side or the other. Each of them pulled with all of their might. Some of the cubs grunted, thinking that it might give them a little more power in their pull. Soon the purple side pulled ahead and once that little advantage was gained, there was no going back. Moments later the purple team gave one final tug sending the other team reeling on their butts.
Purple was declared the winner and with that the cubs all celebrated. Hailun and Kennen high-fived each other. The rest of them celebrate in their own way. Before long they were pushed along to the next group. This time they were to face the oldest students in the school. It didn't go nearly as well as the other yordles were much larger and stronger than they were. Within a matter of moments, the game was over and the older students were determined to be the winner.
Still, the purple team had enjoyed themselves. Kennen picked himself up and helped his boyfriend do the same. The two of them walked around while the awards were distributed. Though the younger students had all lost, many of them expected it to happen. After all, it was a senior tradition every year that they won the event and this year was no different. It wasn't long before the class and the school were dismissed.
Hailun and Kennen made their way out front. Teemo had told the red panda they'd meet them out there for the double date. The two boys waited a few minutes until Tristana and her boyfriend showed up. They waved at them and joined them under the tree where they were waiting.
"So where are we going anyhow?" Kennen asked as he felt like he was the least in the loop about the whole situation.
Teemo smiled. "The same place we did the first double date. It will be nice to revisit the place under different circumstances, eh?"
"Oh, yeah. That sounds nice." Hailun didn't care where they went as long as he got to do something with the other boy.
Tristana smirked. "Well good. Let's get going, shall we?"
The four of them walked together to the ice cream shop. The familiar outdoor restaurant was dead this time of day and only a few yordles were outside it. It took them a short while to arrive with Teemo treating his girlfriend and Hailun treating the other boy. They sat opposite of one another on what they thought was the same table as last time. A warm breeze passed through the area as each of them began to
discuss school and the oncoming break.
"So are things going better between you guys now?" Hailun asked since he knew Teemo and Tristana had a bit of a scuffle recently.
The blue-furred girl nodded. "Yep, I've not leaving my Tee for a little misunderstanding."
"How about you guys? I get the feeling you guys are much closer these days." The smallest boy figured that would be the case but he wanted to be sure.
The biggest yordle nodded. "Yup. We hang out quite a bit. Though we do spend time with other friends, I feel like things have only gotten better between us."
"That's good to hear." Teemo gave them a thumbs up as he licked on the ice cream cone in front of them.
Both couples were shoulder to shoulder, neither of them seemed that wary about showing affection for one another in public. Though in front of their friends that wasn't always the case. After all the whole outing to the ice cream place was just supposed to be a friendly endeavor. Sure, there was a date implied by it but it wasn't the same as being alone. Still, all of them seemed to be enjoying themselves.
They finished their ice creams before long. Teemo and Tristana got up as they had plans for a night out on the town. The smaller boy thanked the two other boys for coming along before they made their way out. Kennen and Hailun now found themselves alone. They looked at each other for a moment, neither of them knowing what to do at that moment.
"Well…I have an idea since we're reliving old memories. How'd you like to go chill under the Bandle Tree Tonight until it's time to go home?" Kennen suggested so they didn't get in trouble again.
Hailun got up and nodded. "Sure that sounds good."
The two of them made their exit from the ice cream stand. It was already late in the afternoon, though it wasn't late enough for the lights to have turned on just yet. They made their way to the center of town, where the foot traffic became ever thicker. Making their way through it and pushing their way to the outer skirts of the Bandlewood. The hill that overlooked the town towered above them as they approached towards the other side of it.
They continued to the Bandle Tree, the largest tree in the entire village. The same one that the town…the forest…and many other things in the yordle community got their name. Kennen was the first to mount up the tree. He was much more adept at it than his boyfriend was. He helped Hailun up, offering a hand down to him as he hung down from one of the branches. Bit by bit they made their way up the trunk of the tree until they were at a branch they felt could support both of them.
Kennen sat down first and patted his chest as if to motion for the other boy to join him. The red panda slowly eased himself down until he was right against the other boy. The brown-furred cub put his arms over the other boy and allowed him to rest against him. Each of them soon started relaxing, seeming all too comfortable with one another as they lay there together.
"It's nice out tonight." Kennen said softly to not spoil the mood.
Hailun mumbled a bit. "Yeah…the sun is starting to go down. It's lovely isn't it?"
"It is. I don't think it could get any better." The brown-furred boy kissed the other cub's head.
The two remained locked together for some time. Hailun didn't move at all nor did his boyfriend. The sun sat further and further down into the horizon. A light crimson-red color coated the sky as they laid them together. Just as it was about to set, Kennen hissed the other boy on the cheek and nudged him.
"Let's head home before we get in trouble…again…haha." He said as he eased the other cub off him.
Hailun and Kennen began their descent from the tree. It took a little bit longer since they were so relaxed now. Once they were down they began their walk back to their homes. The red panda took his boyfriend home first since he was the closer of the two. As they were outside the building they shared a soft embrace and looked into one another's eyes. The moon shone brightly behind them as if to illuminate the love they felt. Sharing a passionate kiss before they broke apart.
Hailun would return home and the two would part ways that night. Both boys think about the time they spent together, always remaining on one another's mind. True love always finds a way…and so do the wheels of time turn. Their relationship would continue to grow stronger as time went on. Their families would become acquainted with one another. They would become fixtures at one another's home.
Yet for the two cubs…their families…and even those of their friends, it was a match that was meant to be. It would come to be that Hailun and Kennen would remain at each other's side…feeling like nothing could ever get between them. Their relationship would mature and they would get to know each other in ways neither of them imagined. And for the two boys of Bandle City…they wouldn't have changed it for anything in the world.
