"You're sure you want to stay overnight?" Reita asked with a small chuckle as he finished setting up the spare room for Uruha. It wasn't unusual for his friend to stay over, and he didn't mind at all. But lately Uruha had been staying more often during this holiday, so Reita felt like he had to joke about it. "I mean, my house doesn't have a bar in it for you to ransack." And his parents were out for a few days of vacation somewhere far since two days ago, so having Uruha coming over this time could help him feel less lonely and bored.

 

Uruha wrinkled his nose, sliding down his bag into his arms and nuzzling it as he hugged it lovingly. “I sure am. Which is why I’ve brought along a few bottles from my own!” He let a delighted laugh once he threw himself onto the bed in the spare room, still embracing the said bag. “I learned my lessons; I got sick of the poor stock of alcohols in your place.”  It was disappointing enough his friend couldn’t drink too much, while he himself was the opposite type. But that really couldn’t help, right? “Hey, you got plans tonight?” He asked once he pushed himself into a sitting position, placing his bag down at the foot of the bed.

 

Reita shook his head slightly. "I don't really make plans. I'd rather just stay in and relax." He reached out and ruffled some of Uruha's dark hair teasingly. "Why? You wanted a date?"

 

Uruha stared at his friend before he sighed, "Don't be that boring." He then flashed a grin, jerking his chin as he wiggled his eyebrows. "And yeah, why not? A date is nice. But if a date with you means staying in and relaxing and doing just that, you should find someone else." He pulled his legs to sit cross-legged on the bed, making a face.

 

"Geez. Okay, you can go out, and I'll sit here and be boring playing games by myself." Reita waved his hand nonchalantly. "Even though you wanted to play that one game together."

 

Uruha's head suddenly shot up, in deep breath as his eyes went wide. "What game? Which one? Huh, tell me!”

 

"Ah, what was it." Reita pretended to think, internally grinning as he watched Uruha's apparent excitement growing. "Oh right... the new Metal Gear game.”

Uruha was already in the middle of taking his bag before he took Reita’s hand, dragging him out of the bedroom to the living room with it in the next second. “Well, what are we waiting for?! Let’s play!”

 

Unable to keep himself from laughing, Reita procured the game from his media shelf and put it into the game system. It wasn't really a multiplayer game, but they had done this before, taking turns playing it so that they could do it together. He sat down by Uruha and handed him the controller.

 

"Here, you start. I know you've been excited for it."

 

"Aww thanks." Uruha accepted the controller, lips curling into a smile. "You can have one of the drinks from my bag." He laughed slightly, bringing his gaze to the screen once the first few seconds of introduction to the game was unrolled and that made him all the more thrilled, his hands gripping the controller a bit tight as he focused on the game, and as he was about to choose one of the options when so suddenly his sight was filled with darkness.

 

Like, total darkness.

 

 “….What the .” Uruha breathed after a few moments of silence, his pupils trying to adjust to the new surroundings and he was still frozen at his sitting position. “Oi, umh, did the power just…” He trailed off, unable to believe what had just happened and it almost made him whimper. “Whyyyy….” 

 

Reita had sat in shock for a few moments before he shook himself and went to the door, peeking out to look down the hall, all he saw was darkness. He groaned a bit.

 

"Seriously?" he grumbled as he pulled his head back in and locked the doors. His birds were screeching a bit in confusion, so he took out his phone to light the way to them. "Hey kids, it's okay." Putting them back in their cage, he said to Uruha. "I'm sure it will be back soon. We'll just hold tight for a few minutes."

 

Uruha remained silent on the couch while hugging his knees and nodded his head a bit. He had his own phone fished out too, staring at the bright screen as he scrolled through it. But as the few minutes passed by and still nothing happened and Uruha was now laying on his back and staring up at the ceiling with the limited source of light, he grew impatient. And it was getting frustratingly colder! “Damn, this is driving me crazy.” He bolted to a sitting a sitting position, almost kicking his feet in the air and turning to look at Reita. “I’m getting some blankets.” He scrunched up his nose, getting on his feet and heading for the spare room while holding his phone with the LED back light on.

 

Reita called after him, "Bring one for me!" and looked at his birds in worry. They were beginning to shiver, and there was no way they could stand up to the cold like he and Uruha could. He thought for a few moments before he went into the kitchen and got some water in a pot, put it on his stove, then turned the gas on and lit it with a match. He could at least make a hot water bottle for them to cuddle up to.

 

“No, you’ll get your own.” Uruha replied and entered the said room before coming out with one blanket in his arms. “Just kidding.” He made his way to Reita’s room next, wrestling a bit with the door handle and the blanket and his phone before the device suddenly slipped out of his grip, and he accidentally banged his head against the wooden door as he lunged to bring it back into his hand. “…I’m okay.” He groaned and managed to proceed with taking another blanket –and for some reason Reita’s parents’ room was locked so he couldn’t enter it- feeling a big bruising bulge swell on his forehead and wondering why this night was such a hell to him. He sneezed halfway back to the living room.

 

Freezing hell.     

 

Reita heard the noise and went out into the living room. "What happened? Did you fall again?" He tried to look at the red spot on his friend's head by phone light, but it was difficult to really tell how bad it was with the artificial light. "Geez... can you go a single day without falling?" He asked jokingly as he wrapped both blankets around his friend.

 

Uruha narrowed his eyes at the light directed in his face, the pain from his forehead was pulsating through his skull. “No doctor, the stupid door suddenly moved in my way when I was walking.” He pouted slightly, pulling the blankets tight around his frame and sitting down on the couch. “Do you want a punch in the face and feel what it’s like?”

 

"Sorry then," Reita said, unable to keep smiling as he watched Uruha be grumpy. Even like that, his friend was still charming. "Are you warm now?"

 

“Yeah.” Uruha nodded, sighing in content and basking in the warmth. “But uh, there’s no blanket for you…”

 

"That's fine. For now, anyway. Would you mind holding Keiji and Oscar though? To keep them warm until I get something set up for them.”

 

“Eh, umh, sure.” He blinked, wondering if he might scare them away since he wouldn’t probably be able to be a tree for them.

 

"Thanks." Reita crossed to the cage and scooped them out before putting them in Uruha's lap. The birds chirped happily and snuggled up against Uruha. Chuckling slightly, Reita said, "just wrap the blanket around and they'll be fine. They'll just snuggle you."

 

“Oh, okay.” Uruha nodded, a bit dumbfounded. Then he stared down at the cute birds in his lap and moved his arms to half-embrace them, a bit worried he might crush Reita’s kids. “Hey hey. That tickles….” He giggled and squirmed slightly before he suddenly froze and stopped breathing altogether for a moment. “…Don’t poke there. Reita, your kids are such erted birds……” So much like the blonde.

 

"Eh? What are they doing?" Reita called from the kitchen, pretty sure he knew what the birds were doing.

 

He was sure his face heated up a little. “I don’t think I need to freaking tell you…! Do they do that to you too sometimes?” But it wasn’t like, he could push them away though. Oh, what the actual …..”Oi, you two. Stop that.”

 

"Yeah, they used to. Pick them up and hold them in your hands." Reita chuckled to himself as he got a hot water bottle and started pouring the water into it. "I'll be done in a few minutes."

 

Uruha narrowed his eyes hearing the first part, looking down reluctantly at those innocent-like birds. Reita must have been teaching them or something, or watched together with them. Whew, this place was full with erted creatures. “Nah, I’ll just…” He slowly placed both of his hands over his clothed crotch, one of them still holding the phone. He then shook his head at the birds since he was blocking their source of entertainment, trying to ignore their questioning chirpings.

 

Reita came out with the water bottle and got the birds' smaller carrying case. He slipped the bottle into the tray before he went to Uruha and plucked his birds up.

 

"Are you two being bad?" he asked, struggling to hold back laughter as he saw Uruha's defence. "Well, hopefully you'll be warm now." He put them into the cage and went to his spare room's closet, digging out the survival blanket. Returning to the living room, he saw his birds huddling on the floor as close to the heat as they could. With a small smile, he wrapped the blanket around the cage.

 

"There. You two should be warm now until the power comes back." He ignored how he was beginning to shiver now. Uruha was warm and the birds were warm. He could stand it. It couldn't be much longer until the power went back on, right?

 

Uruha watched as Reita talked to his birds, sighing a bit in relief since he was free from those tiny criminals. “Hey, sit here.” He told Reita, noticing the look on the blonde’s face and patting the empty space next to him on the couch. “Let’s hug or share blankets or something, I don’t want you to die in your own place because of the low temp.”

 

Reita shook his head a bit and put on a smile. "I'm fine, really." He looked out to the window, cursing that the weather was so bad it would be a terrible idea to leave and go somewhere where there was electricity.

 

“I don’t think it will hurt anyway. What, afraid that I might end up groping you?” He adjusted his position and lay down on the couch, his long legs dangling over the arm rest for a while before pulling them close to his chest, snuggling in the blankets. “Oh my God, it’s so warm here. Sure you want to miss this? Mmm mhmmm.” He chuckled slightly.

 

Reita rolled his eyes, trying to ignore his insides as he imagined wrapping up close with Uruha. "I'm strong enough to bear it." Though it was getting cold enough he could just about see his breath, he was still determined to sit it out.

 

The honey blonde snickered, rolling over onto his side. “Hey kids, are you guys warm? I bet you are. And does it feel good? Of course it does.”  He pushed his lower lip slightly, not liking Reita’s ultimate stubbornness that never changed. “I’m going to sleep.” He yawned out the words, covering his mouth with the back of his hand before turning off the light of his phone.   

 

"You do that." Now Reita definitely didn't want to admit he was cold and ask Uruha to share some warmth, just because Uruha was being this way. He rubbed his arms, shivering slightly. How the hell was the power not back on? He got up and got his warmest coat, zipping it up and huddling into it. Much better, though the rest of him was still freezing. "You go curl up in bed, okay? I'm glad you're warm. I'll be okay."

 

“Mmm…” Uruha’s reply was barely a murmur, eyes already heavy to keep open. “The couch is already fine.” And he just refused to move anyway. He yawned again before saying in a soft voice. “Good night, Rei.”

 

"Good night." Reita tried to wrap himself around the birds' cage to help keep it warmer. Before too long his teeth were almost chattering. He couldn't believe any of this! He looked over to Uruha, who was still asleep but starting to look pale. He chewed on his own frozen lip for a few moments before he pushed himself up, carried the cage into his room and put it on the nightstand, and went out to the living room.

 

"You win," he said to his slumbering friend. "And now I need you to stay warm."

 

Uruha jerked awake by the time he felt his back being pressed by something hard and warm. Noticing he still had his phone in his hand, he switched the LED light on and moved around in the blankets with a groan at the lack of space before he was suddenly came face to face with Reita.

 

“Holy …!” He pulled his head back with his jaw dropped in surprise, nearly dislocating it. And after a few seconds of recovering from the shock, Uruha then noticed his friend seem to be sleeping and also …weak with colors fading from his face. “Oh…” His heart fell at the sight and it made him feel so bad, but it was still Reita’s fault for refusing to share blankets with him earlier!

 

“You’re such a stubborn kid. Always.” Uruha grumbled under his breath and gasped once his hands came in contact with Reita’s cold cheeks. Panicked, he quickly shook his friend to wake him up. “Reita..?” But the blonde only responded with a mumble without making a move and Uruha sighed, sitting up to unwrap the blankets from his body and instantly cover their bodies with them, snuggling close to Reita.

 

Only it was too close.

 

Uruha gently chewed and his chapped lower lip, suddenly highly aware of this. He didn’t realize he had been holding his breath until his phone buzzed, startling him and signalling how low the battery was and in need to be charged.  So Uruha had no choice but to turn it off and continue staring at his friend’s calm, undisturbed sleeping face—from the crescent shape of his closed eyes, to the ridiculously long bleach bangs that fell into his face, where a few months of being apart before had done wonders to its sharpness and angels…

 

And as the time passed to no point Uruha was able to restrain himself anymore, he touched those adorable cheeks again with an amused smile, seizing the owner’s face entirely with them before he slowly leaned in, eyelids slowly dropping low, and kissed Reita’s frozen and slightly parted, inviting lips, at them once with his warm tongue and crashing his lips against them back again.  

 

He felt Reita gasp into the kiss in the next second, which meant he had come to a full awake, but that didn’t stop Uruha in the slightest, shocking the blonde more that he looked so dumbfounded as to how he should actually react to the sudden – surprising- kiss.

 

But he didn’t manage to give his first respond since Uruha pulled away almost instantly – and since Reita was quick, he could see there was a …longing mixed with reluctance look lining his friend’s brown eyes. He found his voice, whispering “Ruha?” in the silence.

 

“Sorry.” Was his friend’s answer. “You just looked…”

 

“It’s alright.” That surprised Uruha and Reita couldn’t help but blush at his own words. “W-well, you did make me feel warmer though.”

 

With that kiss only or?

 

Uruha stared at the blonde for a few moments of silence. “Do you want me to kiss you again?”

 

Reita suddenly coughed at the direct question, cheeks reddening. His friend was too bold! And he didn’t even hesitate at all asking that!

 

“I guess no then.” Uruha let a small laugh after seeing Reita’s wordless reaction. But the blonde was quick to fix.

 

“I didn’t say anything yet, Ruha.” He whispered, a bit confused and embarrassed. “And it’s not like I’m… against the offer...”

 

Everything suddenly went still with Uruha gaping in surprise and before he could think of anything else, his hands grabbed at Reita’s collar and jerked him towards himself for a deep, burning kiss that startled the blonde that he almost jumped, fell off the couch and crash hard right onto the floor. But that didn’t happen and once he recovered from the shock – and was still feeling awkward, since his one and only best friend was kissing him – Reita finally found the courage to take a hold of Uruha’s arm gently, applying a firm grip despite his shaky hand as he returned the gentle kiss.

 

And before things went too far, they reluctantly broke apart from the kiss, trying to catch their breaths with – sweaty, despite the cold weather - foreheads connected and arms locked around each other.

 

“Why did we choose different universities again?” Uruha was the first to ask, his faint white puffs of warm ghosting against Reita’s face, which had a small smile stretched across it. But the blonde didn’t answer him, which made Uruha babble some more. “Though I think it’s really not a big deal, right?”

 

“It isn’t. And we have the internet anyway…and no matter how far we always go, we’ll eventually return back to one another right? Also, if you trust me enough to be loyal to you—“

 

“I do!” Uruha instantly hugged and squeezed Reita in his arms, burying his face in the other’s chest only to earn himself a delighted laugh above his head. “I really do trust you, always. And I hope you do the same….” He whispered, pressing his lips into a thin line as he felt his cheeks heat up and heard the loud banging of his heart. “Reita, what makes you think we’re still…together?”

 

It had always been the exact question Reita was wondering all this time as well.

 

He Uruha’s hair gently with affection, smiling softly to him. “I guess we really are meant to stay together then; as best friends, well, lovers now, aren’t we?”

 

Uruha grinned cutely at that. “Would you like to stay this way for the rest of your life?”

 

“Well, don’t you think you should ask me to get married to you?” Reita snorted, but couldn’t wipe off the mirrored grin on his own face. “But yeah, I’d like that. Next time it’s either you or me will propose perfectly.”

 

Uruha laughed, nuzzling his head against Reita’s chest. “Aren’t we too young and isn’t it too early to think of this?”

 

“But it’s not wrong.”

 

“And it should be a surprise.”

 

“Oh, I’ll surprise you alright.”

 

Uruha smiled gently, leaning in to stare right into Reita’s eyes. “Be true to your words then.”

 

“Ya already know I’m a man of my words.” Reita smiled smugly, which only gained him a hard stinging slap to his arm. “Oww!”

 

“I’m serious!” Uruha was too happy to prevent himself from smiling widely.

 

“And I am too.”

 

“Geez,” Uruha snickered, smiling somewhat nervously as he looked away shyly. “I love you.”

 

“I love you too.”

 

The honey-blonde broke into a fit of giggles, and once he looked back at Reita and held his knowing gaze, both males didn’t prevent themselves to go for more shared kisses and eventually fall asleep on the couch, feeling warmer than ever, and definitely feeling more comfortable; with the thoughts of what they would be looking forward to, with the fact of what they were now to one another and with the truth of the newly developed relationship.

 

And they woke up the next following hours seeing Reita’s parents with two big grins flashing their way, the power was already back on and two little birds chirping excitedly with enthusiasm in the house.

 

“Good morning lovebirds!”