Kai sighed as he walked up the front path. Mid-January. The coldest time of year. And of course, the day some little bastard had run off with his gloves while he'd been having a coffee. The rest of him was perfectly warm, probably owing to the extra jumper, thick coat, and fluffy scarf he was wearing. And the bedsocks Tala had bought him as a joke for Christmas...

But his hands...his hands felt like blocks of ice attatched to the end of his nice warm arms. It took him several minutes to get his key out and open the door, and then...

Indoors. Bliss. Ah...

He stripped off his coat and hung it up behind the door, then walked into the kitchen, shaking his still-freezing hands. Rei was there, stirring what looked to be a cake mixture. "Hey Kai." He said, back turned.

"Hey."

"Is it still freezing out there?" He turned finally, then smiled. "It must be. Your cheeks are all pink." Kai rubbed his hands together and winced.

"Someone ran off with my gloves...my hands are like -ice-..." Rei put down his cake mix and walked over, shoes clicking on the tiled floor.

"Let me see..." Kai held out his hands, and Rei shook his head, sighing. Kai froze as he watched neko-jin's warm, tanned hands close over his freezing white ones. "Any better?"

"Y..." Kai cleared his throat. "Yeah. Thanks."

"Maybe you'd better take a spare pair next time?" Rei smiled up at him, and Kai froze even more inside. "Are you okay, Kai?"

"Uh...yeah. I'm...I'm fine."

"So what do you have planned for tonight?" Rei asked brightly, as if he had quite forgotten he was holding Kai's hands tightly in his own.

"Um...not much...nothing, really."

"Oh...well, if you've got nothing planned..." Rei looked suddenly hopeful. "Will you come to that new Italian restaurant with me? I really want to see what it's like, but everyone else is busy tonight..." Kai stared for a second.

"Like...a date?" As soon as the words were out he was cursing himself inwardly. Not matter how much he liked Rei, Rei wasn't gay and that was that. He obviously hadn't asked with that intention in mind. "I...sorry. Forget I said that." Rei looked slightly puzzled. "I'll come, sure. What...um...what kind of place is it?"

"Well, it isn't really fancy, so just...whatever you feel like."

"Right. What time?" Rei cocked his head to one side, thinking.

"Say...seven? I'll drive." Kai nodded, looking down at their joined hands. Rei followed his gaze and gasped. "Sorry!" And then the warmth of his hands was gone. And then it was Kai's turn to gasp as Rei placed a hand firmly over his chest, then smiled. "Sorry. I just had to test the theory."

"W-What?" The hand slipped away, and Rei went back to his cake making.

"Well you know what they say, Kai... Cold hands, warm heart..." Kai stared for a second then left.

"Table for two please." Rei smiled brightly at the waiter, who nodded and led them over to one of the corner tables. The restaurant was nicely decorated, Kai had to admit. Tasteful, not in your face...candles, low lighting. More of a restaurant for couples really, but still. Nice all the same.

He glanced across the table at Rei, taking in his red shirt. Red for luck, wasn't that what the Chinese said? It looked good on him, whatever it meant. And then Kai was suddenly aware of a pair of golden eyes catching his own and looked away sharply. "It's...it's nice in here, isn't it?"

"Yeah...and the food's supposed to be quite nice as well. Not that that's the only reason I wanted to come or anything, but..." He smiled and shook his head. "I'm rambling again." Then he sighed. "So apart from having your gloves stolen, how's your day been?"

"Oh, not bad. You?"

"Had a lie-in, cleaned up a bit...made that cake..." He sighed. "The wonders of small talk, huh?" Kai blinked.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Kai...you know earlier, when you asked if this was supposed to be a date..."

"Yeah...look, I'm sorry about that. I just...you know."

"It -is- supposed to be a date." Kai stopped short.

"What?"

"I lied. Tyson and Max and Kenny aren't busy. When are they ever busy? I just wanted to spend some time with you Kai. Alone."

"You..." Kai paused, frowning. "I don't think I quite understand what you mean." Rei sighed again.

"Kai...how do you know if you're gay?"

"...Um?"

"How do you know?" Kai blinked.

"You think you're gay?"

"Yes." Kai felt his pulse quicken slightly.

"Why?"

"Because...I look at you...like I used to look at Mariah."

"And how would that be?" Rei leaned towards him slightly.

"With lust, Kai." The Russian swallowed. "I don't know quite how it works with two men, but I look at you and I want to kiss you and touch you and strip off your clothes and-"

"Stop!" Kai said breathlessly. "Look...how long have you been feeling like that? People get crushes Rei, and it doesn't necessarily mean they're gay or anything, just...it could be a one-off thing."

"I don't look at anyone in that way but you. I used to do it all the time with women, but now I don't. And I can only think...that that means I'm gay." Kai blinked.

"Oh." Before Kai had a chance to say anything a waitress descended on them, shoving menus in their faces and hanging around while they chose what to order. When she'd gone, Kai still couldn't think of anything to say. "You...look at -me- like that?" He managed finally. Rei nodded.

"I look at you and I want..." Kai swallowed.

"You want-?"

"I want to be your everything." The Russian looked across the table and his eyes met Rei's again. "I want to try...and be your everything..."

Kai looked down at the table. It was all so very sudden...

Before he could formulate any kind of reply, bowls of pasta were laid down in front of them. "Rei...did you mean what you were saying just now?"

"Yes." Kai looked up and caught Rei's gaze again. The neko-jin blinked and held out a hand across the table. Without thinking, Kai took it. "Cold hands. You always have cold hands, Kai..." He smiled softly. "But people say that the colder the hands, the warmer the heart..." And then a sly smile stole over his face. "And of course...well...you have such big feet Kai, and they do say...the bigger the feet, the bigger the-"

"Shoes." Kai replied, smiling back. "Flirt." Rei's smile broadened.

"You love it." Kai laughed softly.

"How about we eat while this stuff is still hot? And then afterwards..." He paused. "Well, there's the rest of the night for us to play with." Rei nodded, leaning over the table and planting a kiss firmly onto Kai's lips.

"You know, I have a new one. Cold hands, hot lips!" He winked, and Kai laughed.

"Tell you what? Let's leave dinner. Let's just play." Rei giggled, standing up and pulling on his coat.

"When you say play, Kai..."

"When I say play, Rei, I mean...cold hands...and cold you." The Chinese smiled, eyes full of challenge.

"That a promise?"

"You bet."