Yu was a steady and collected soul. Mostly silent, seating quietly in the corner, he hardly lost his temper and it required a lot to even get him mildly irritated. Like this uncommon snowy winter evening.

The night had been quite peaceful so far, the day even, the kind he liked particularly. Alone, well at ease in the cozy bubble that was his room, snuggled under a warm and soft plaid, his favorite mug set on his desk filled with some delicious hot chocolate and busy studying on his computer while the snow fell silently outside his window. Extremely rare for Taiwan and although the phenomenon was such an unusual beauty, it was especially delightful from the heated safe and sound inside.

Evan, his roommate, had gone out early in the morning and wasn't due to return for another few hours. The two young men got along amazingly well regardless of their diametrically opposed lifestyles. Of course, whenever he had the chance, Evan couldn't help but try to get him out of his bubble, and although Yu's response was always the same, he didn't despair of succeeding, be it tomorrow or in a decade.

No, Yu's day had been great until the cell phone of his very dear absent roommate shattered the satisfying silence that had surrounded him until then.

Once. Twice. Third.

Yu didn't pay much attention at first. Evan was quit forgetful, he regularly went out without most of his stuff, including his phone, and even though Yu had the official authorization to pick up in this name when he was away, he rarely used it since most of his friends knew about his clumsy nature and just sent him messages while waiting for him to answer. Which could be long when he was out for hours like today.

Yu was used to his roommate's antics, but when the phone rang for the twelfth time in a few minutes, his olympian calm was slightly disturbed. He could have just put on his headset and ignored the calls but doubt crept into him.

What if it was something important or urgent?

Evan would certainly be bummed and even offended if something happened because of him. And in all honesty, Yu was a good person and even if he wanted peace more than anything, he couldn't in all consciousness ignore these relentless calls.

However, it didn't prevent him from storming into his friend's room and then abruptly picking up the phone, cursing the name that was displayed on the screen.

Sam.

Bloody magnificent Sam who rushed in and started yelling as soon as Yu answered the call, without even giving him the chance to make a sound.

"Evan, thank god you're finally picking up!"

Yu winced and rolled his eyes while shoving the phone away from his poor ears, which were being martyred by the deafening music that almost completely covered the deep voice of his roommate's friend. Finally was not really the word he would have used to qualify the harassment he was facing for almost half an hour.

"I'm not-" he started growling but was immediately cut off by this damn Sam. This man was definitely loud, a pain in the really.

"Evan, I need your help, please!"

Did he have to yell, though? His anxious and urgent tone made Yu nervous.

"I'm not Evan!" He tried again, this time louder, but his voice was drowned out by Sam's, who kept bellowing, trying to cover the music. Which created a smashing mix and Yu was willing to bet that he would be deaf before this conversation was over.

"Evan, I need your help, please! I'm at Firefly, the bar we went to last time, please!"

"Evan is not-"

"It's a matter of life or death!"

The line went suddenly dead and Yu found himself standing there with the phone in his hands, now alarmed but also frustrated. He stared at the device, dumbfounded.

What the hell was that? What was he supposed to do now?

Evan wasn't expected to be home for several hours and that bloody Sam seemed to need him immediately. What for? No idea and he would have loved not to care but his blood was already boiling in his veins, adrenaline pumping through his muscles.

Yu cursed his not even friend as he hastily keyed the name of the bar and then its address into his phone. The place was only a few blocks from their apartment, a ten minute walk. By running, Yu could be there in less than five.

Did he want to go there? Of course not, his hot chocolate would obviously be dead cold by the time he would get back to it. Was he going to go anyway? Of course he would, what if instead of his chocolate, it was Sam who ended up dead cold? That wouldn't do. He was a good person, after all, right?

Yu glanced at the softly falling snow outside and cursed Sam one last time before rushing out with his coat on in a hurry. For his own sake, Sam better be in real danger or else, Yu would kill him with his own freezing hands.

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Yu barged into the Firefly bar which was incredibly crowded despite the exceptional weather, his eyes scanning every corner for his roommate's friend. No ambulance or police officers were to be seen at the entrance and Yu couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing.

As soon as he got inside, his senses were overwhelmed and he couldn't help but wince, his hands protecting his ears as best he could. The music was thunderous. Most people were yelling to try to talk to each other and the flashing and bright spotlights blinded him as soon as he set foot in this new hell.

He made his way to the counter and finally spotted the shape of that lousy Sam. Among Evan's friends, Sam was the one who visited them the most and Yu always made sure to avoid him, taking refuge in his room as soon as Sam stepped through the door. They had only exchanged small talk and their eyes had never even crossed but Yu could have recognized him anywhere. He could have used his height as an excuse, which was also the case since they both had to be at least six feet tall and would definitely stand out in the crowd, but that wasn't the real reason. Short or tall, it didn't matter. Such a look, such a voice, such a laugh, it was particularly hard to ignore or forget.

Sam seemed pretty nervous, fidgeting a coaster in his hands and glancing around in clear panic. He didn't seem to be in immediate danger of death either, and there were no injuries to disclose.

Yu's blood boiled as he walked the last few feet between them, his annoyance at the highest and his fists clenched as he froze in front of him, short of breath from having run all the way here for no apparent good reason.

"You're not dead!" he observed sharply, somewhat disappointed.

Sam's eyes flickered before they locked onto his, blazing but confused, and he stared at him from head to toe, bewildered. Yu frowned, giving him a moment to acknowledge him. Sam peered at him one last time, surely longer than necessary, especially on his lips before straightening up abruptly, clearly unsettled to find him here.

"Y- Yang Yu Teng?" he stuttered, his face distorted with surprise and the young man couldn't tell if he was more shaken to meet him here or just to see him in the flesh for the first time up close.

"Obviously!"

"What are you doing here? I never thought you could actually leave your room, let alone the apartment..." Sam's eyes wandered down his body for the umpteenth time and Yu snapped his fingers to bring him to his senses, more than a little annoyed. Sam stormed back to his face, however, stared at him with the same fervor and Yu struggled with all his might to not let any reaction show. That deep voice of his wasn't helping.

"You called for help!" he snarled, with more venom than he should have.

"Right! Right!" Sam finally seemed to come to reality, and he glanced around nervously before stepping into Yu's living space, one hand resting on his arm to keep him at a safe close distance so they could hear each other without yelling. "Where is Evan? I really need him right now!"

"Evan is not here."

"No, no, no!" Sam was clearly losing his mind now. He moved closer to Yu again, his face only a few inches from his. "But I had him in the phone earlier..."

"It was me." Yu cut him off, a world apart from the panic felt by the person he was talking to. He mostly had the impression he had been screwed over. "You said you needed help."

"It's true, I need help!"

"You said it was a matter of life or death."

"It's-"

"You're clearly not dead." repeated Yu, shooting him a glare, clearly irritated at being disturbed and forced out in such weather while he was having a lovely evening. Also, clearly irritated at being forced to face someone he had been doing a good job avoiding so far.

"Okay, okay!" Sam finally realized what an annoyed state his friend's roommate was in, stepping aside somewhat as he held up his hands in surrender. "I may have gone a bit too far but please, I wouldn't have called if it wasn't important, okay?!

"Do you even know how rare snow is in Taiwan?!" was Yu's only reply, almost threatening.

"Yang Yu Teng, please! Okay, do you see this man over there? The one with the yellow sweat with the other man in blue at the table?"

Sam gestured to a corner of the room and Yu rolled his eyes and growled. The young man didn't take his eyes off him until he was willing to follow his directions, his hand again on his arm, this time pleading. Yu watched the two men in the middle of a discussion with a distracted eye, not knowing what he was supposed to see.

"That's my ex." Sam confessed, expecting a reaction but when none came other than a dark glare, he hastened to add. "We broke up a few months ago and it was pretty ugly and I wouldn't have called at all if it wasn't for him!"

Yu remained still, unbothered.

“Please, don't look at me like this.” Sam pleaded, eager to justify himself before Yu decided to leave and let him face his fate alone. “I was supposed to meet some friends but they ditched me because of the snow-” Obviously, Yu thought so loudly that Sam rolled his eyes. “Yes, I know, okay! I should have cancelled too but I was already here and by the time I tried to leave he had already seen me and asked how my life was going and if I had anyone. I couldn't tell him I was still alone when the main reason for our break up was because of that soulmate thing-” Sam sounded desperate now, clearly looking for any excuse and Yu suddenly had a very bad feeling. “He knows my family and almost all my friends, the only one he doesn't know is Evan so I thought it was a perfect plan. And it was, on the moment, of course.”

"No-" Yu whispered, more to himself than anyone else as his blood suddenly froze and turned into stones in his veins and Sam winced, clearly ashamed but with both hands joined together pointing at his mention, a pleading pout on his lips.

"Can you be my fake boyfriend, pretty please?"

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No, he couldn't be serious, could he? Yu had been staring at Sam for a few long minutes now, mouth dropping, but Sam kept on begging him, his hands still turned towards him, hoping surely to coax him by some miracle.

He could always dream, no way.

Cursing Sam for the umpteenth time this evening, Yu readjusted his coat before gritting his teeth and glaring at the young man. The real miracle was Sam still standing after the number of imaginary bullets he had already been shot.

Yu was speechless, still too stunned by the crazy idea he had just heard, and he didn't even want to try, just walk away without looking back and finally find the quietude of his apartment again. It was without counting on Sam who jumped in behind him as soon as he had taken a single step towards the exit.

"Wait, please!" He landed in front of Yu who just avoided him, carrying on his way. "Yang Yu Teng, I understand you're annoyed and I'm sorry for ruining your night. I know you must think I'm an idiot right now-"

No Sherlock, Yu thought as Sam kept following him. He tried once to grab his arm but Yu pulled away violently and he didn't dare touch him again, approaching him awkwardly as best he could.

"You said it was life or death!" blamed Yu.

"I know!"

"I thought you were dying somewhere!"

"I'm sorry you got worried about me, truly!"

"Who said I was worried?!" snapped Yu, thumping his foot only a few steps from the front door and Sam took the opportunity to stand between him and the exit, palms in his direction as if he were trying to domesticate a wild animal out of its shed. Which, in all honesty, was pretty close to the truth.

"I'm sorry, okay?! Listen!" Sam had his hands linked again, pleading one last time and playing his last cards, desperate. His hair kept shaking on his forehead. "I'll do anything if you agree to help me and I promise it's only this once. No kissing, no touching, no more than five minutes and then we're done and I'll never bother you again, never talk about it again. I'll never even step foot in your apartment again."

Yu wavered for a brief moment, as the promise was so appealing and the rewards so high. But this? Playing a couple, even if only for five minutes? It was well beyond his abilities. He had no experience in human relations, his social scale was close to zero and it was already a miracle that he got along so well with Evan.

"I- I can't." he mumbled, his throat knotted and unable to hold Sam's piercing gaze any longer, staring sheepishly at his feet.

He did his best to remain unfazed by Sam's defeated face and avoided him again, leaning his hand against the front door of the bar, ready to walk out and finally regain his freedom.

"I knew you were lying!" came a triumphant, haughty voice behind him and Yu froze, unable to move forward.

It didn't take a mind reader to figure out who it belonged to and he knew it was time to leave. He also knew it was rude to listen to other people's conversations, that he had won a battle and should just enjoy his victory quietly with his plaid and his not-so-hot chocolate anymore.

However, he was powerless to budge and he could only listen to Sam defend himself as best he could, in a voice that was meant to be confident but that betrayed him, quivering.

"He's late but he'll co-" a laugh broke out before Sam had finished speaking, dismissive and Yu didn't think it was possible but he had just found someone even more annoying than his roommate's friend.

"Don't even bother, do you really think I'm stupid enough to believe your crap?!" his tone was mocking, cutting and Yu could hear Sam fidgeting behind him, clearly uncomfortable. "Are you so eager to prove you were right to leave me?! Let me tell you the truth, you weren't! Most people never find their soulmate and even if they do, some simply don't deserve one. And we both know to which category you belong, don't we?!"

The sickening laughter burst out again, covering the sound of Yu's shattering heart. Suddenly, he was no longer that 26-year-old anymore, no longer in that bar, no longer in Taiwan, even. He was back in Tokyo, in the family house. This cold and mournful building, just like his father who was sizing him up from his height, huge and dominating. Suddenly he was a child again, trying to remove the Chinese characters drawn on his wrist with a knife, ignoring the blood flowing abundantly at his feet. Suddenly, the words 'not enough' and 'not deserving' echoed in his mind again, twisting his ears and scratching his soul a little more.

And Yu never thought that his demons would have followed him here after so many years, and yet here he was again. Trembling, struggling with his most secret and buried insecurities. He tried to forget the child who was still crying inside him and dared to glimpse at Sam, now incapable of leaving the bar.

Sam was clearly trying to disappear from the face of the earth, crowled against the counter, one hand nervously scratching the back of his neck. He didn't even try to defend himself, and when Yu looked at the man who had just confronted him, when he saw his features distorted by an unhealthy satisfaction, he knew that his venomous words were not accidental at all. They were meant to hurt, like daggers. And they had. The words had hit their target, right in the heart.

And before he could really consider the impact of his actions, Yu stepped back and went straight to Sam. Once by his side, he wrapped his arm around his back, his fingers grabbing tightly to his hoodie and pulled him close. His roommate's friend froze at his touch before staring at him with a startled frown. Yu seized the opportunity to put his free hand gently against his cheek before placing a soft kiss against his temple. He could feel Sam's hot, rough breath against him, clearly confused.

"You got five minutes." Yu whispered against his skin, barely audible. He ignored the slight shiver of his now fake boyfriend then pulled away so that their faces were face to face, offering him his brightest smile. "Sorry, babe, I hope I'm not too late. You know, the snow and all-"