Nostalgia
Things were silent out in the frozen air. Two distinctly Japanese cars were parked beside each other in front of the apartment unit. One of them belonged there. The other one just visited from time to time.
"So, how old are you again?" A light clack hit the counter as the hyena put his phone down. Akira turned his head to listen curiously for an answer. Only the light from the next room over was spilling in and dimly illuminating the kitchen.
Jay came walking in, checking his watch and rubbing his nose ring with the side of his knuckle,all the while his friend questioned him directly. He left the light on behind him in the living room. It was dark in the kitchen, but at the same time it was more than light enough for the boys' sharp eyes to see at night.
"Same age as you, dumb yeen." The snep eventually spoke up in that snarky tone, full of grumpiness and sass. Jay took in a wide and toothy yawn afterwards.
Akira scoffed at the comment; predictable as ever. "sff, I know that. I'm just saying: You're twenty-four and you still haven't moved out of your mom's place?" He snickered to himself, while Jaydin sharpened the look in their eyes against the returned snark.
"hhf. You know she isn't as bad as she used to be." Jay struck up a ceasefire after getting hit with the flak. His path ended right in front of the fridge, where he leaned down and took out another cold can of soda from inside.
The hyena laughed a little more obviously. "Yeah, but you know you could always move in with Vincent." Akira suggested, following Jay with his emerald eyes all the while. "or me." He showed some teeth behind a fitting smile.
Jaydin turned about face and let the fridge swing closed by itself behind his tail. "I've thought about it..." He thought aloud a minor confession, even though his expression stayed neutral. "But at the same time, I'd rather have a place where I just can be alone if I want to." A hiss and a crack blasted out of that can as Jay opened it. "Besides, I haven't even known Vince for a year." Jay brought the can to his lips, inadvertently tapping it with his piercings.
"Man..." Akira angled his head back in mock disbelief. He grabbed a resealable can of salty almonds on the countertop. "You gotta get tired of being watched all the time though." Akira went on, while he slid the noisy can over to himself.
After a few particularly big gulps, Jay set the half-empty can down on the counter. "eh, Sometimes. But like I said, I can just be alone at my place." Jay cleaned his lips with both tips of his tongue. "Plus it costs me less than if I split the rent here with you."
Akira idly munched on his snack, a few pieces at a time, while he listened with perked ears. "You want space; I get ya." He thought aloud, with a partially-full mouth. He then leaned his head to the side. "But don't you wanna like, make a career or something at least?"
A prickly grunt came out of Jay, along with a barely noticable shrug of the shoulders. He stepped closer to Akira. "Now you sound just like her, college boy." Jay boldly commented, with a slightly grumpier face on than normal. He forwardly picked up that can of almonds from Akira's hands, bringing it his way so that he could shake out a handful of his own to scarf down.
Without hesitation, a sassy smirk strung over Akira's muzzle. He allowed the hungry cat to take his snacks from him, for now. "Hey I'm just saying you might wanna do something with your life at some point."
Jay swallowed with malicious intent. "I don't want to do anything." Jaydin then said soon after, and pretty unequivocally too. Though, instead of his usual cranky character, this time the snep began to soften somewhat. "I don't wanna work. I don't wanna go to college." He held the almond can near his chest as he spoke some more. "I don't even wanna see my family either. I just wanna be alone, man..."
Akira inched closer to Jay, knowing full well that he could get in the cat's personal space and not be rejected. "You like staying here pretty often, so it's more than that, remember?"
Jay's grouchy look started slowly coming back. He looked down at the counter. The whole time, Akira kept his wits focused on Jaydin's body language.
"You want to be alone and not alone at the same time." Akira dug deeper with a slightly gentler tone than before. Akira brought his closest hand around Jaydin's. "Am I right?"
Jaydin set the can back down on the counter. He lightly tightens his grip on the other hand.
"You know that isn't healthy." Akira spoke up before he got an answer. The hyena leaned in even closer.
"It's not just that though." Jay finally responded, staying where he is. "I don't want to be here in general; in this life." A slight wince faintly wrinkled Jay's muzzle. "I liked it better when we were in high school...And I didn't have to do so much."
They slowly tightened some more.
"That's why I stick around you so much." Jaydin went on to say. "'Cause you constantly remind me of when we used to go to school together." Jay gently slid his fingers in between Akira's, who then gave them a gentle squeeze.
Akira's free hand reached up to Jay's muzzle, and smoothed over Jay's soft cheek fluff. It took a moment before Jay look into Akira's eyes.
When they could see through each other, the corners of Akira's lips lightly lifted. "You'd lose a lot more than you'd gain in going back. Trust me. I've thought about it before."
Jaydin began to soften up yet again. "You feel it too huh?" He naturally frowned.
Closing what minimal distance was between them, the two touched their noses together, giving each other a small rub. Akira ran his thumb across the side of Jay's hand. "Yeah. But maybe we'll make a career together huh? Like we've always done."
"Yeah..." Jaydin tilted his head up, and pressed his lips to Akira's.