Kindle
"Hikaru, okaeri." Shindou Masao called out as she heard the front door close and silent footsteps began making their way to the stairs. Hearing no answer, she walked towards her son and asked worriedly, "Hikaru? What's wrong? ... you look flushed! Did the cold get to you that much? I told you to bring an extra muffler because it was going to snow today."
"Okaasan, I'm fine. I'm not cold at all." said Hikaru, quickly turning around and heading for his room. "On the contrary, I feel a little too..." Shindou Masao strained her ears to catch the rest of her son's muttered words but his door was closed with a finality.
"Haaa..." Hikaru let out a long breath, dropping his bag on the floor and falling down onto the bed. Slowly, almost dreamily, eyes were closed and a hand unconsciously reached up, feeling his warm face and cheeks and finally resting lightly on his lips. His mind went back to a time earlier that evening...
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He waited as Touya locked up the Go Salon. Their game had gone on longer than usual and Ichikawa had left them after putting down the keys on Touya's side of the table. They continued the game, finally ended it, and discussed it. They had argued, as usual, and Hikaru's shout of "Kaeru!" was followed not with Ichikawa handing him his backpack and him huffing out the door but with Touya telling him to wait for him as he was going to go home, too. They set off towards their respective homes together.
"Wow, we really ended it late this time, ne Touya?"
"It's because you're so stubborn, Shindou. I told you, there was no way to come back after that pincer but you just kept going at it."
"I told you! I had a plan for that!"
"Shindou, let's not let the whole street hear us arguing." Touya said this though he observed that the street was deserted apart from themselves.
"You'll see, Touya. I'm going to beat you soon you know."
"Hnnn..." Touya couldn't help letting out a small smile at that.
"...What? What are you smiling at? Do you find that funny?"
"Well, I was thinking that until you do beat me, that it would be fun beating you in the meantime."
"Why you! You find it fun playing with me and beating me, huh?"
Touya didn't reply as he was amusedly thinking, 'Actually Shindou, I find it fun just being with you. Period.'
Hikaru took advantage of Touya's silence and started loudly complaining about the snow that had started falling just a few hours ago. He wrapped his arms around him and started stamping his feet a bit, all the while complaining. Touya looked at him and found himself laughing aloud at Hikaru who looked like he was doing a weird dance while chanting curses to the snow.
"Ah, Touya, this proves that you are a sadistic weirdo.", Hikaru said in a mock-angry voice. "You find pleasure not only in beating me in Go but now, also in seeing me suffering from the cold, right?"
Hikaru was about to mention some more things to show that Touya was sadistic; from seemingly stalking him to forcing him to chase after him to pegging Hikaru's hand with a Go stone once, when all these thoughts suddenly flew from his mind as Touya abruptly turned towards him and grabbed hold of his shoulders.
"Touya!" Hikaru let out, surprised. "What-"
"Shindou..." Touya murmured, his own voice sounding strange to him. He slid his left hand onto Hikaru's back, slowly pulling Hikaru closer. "I don't find enjoyment in seeing you suffer from the cold." He let his hand trail towards Hikaru's elbow then slip around the smaller boy's waist. "The pleasure would be...", Touya momentarily paused and lowered his face near Hikaru's. Disbelieving green eyes widened as equally brilliant green eyes started to close. Breaths they didn't realize they were holding were let out and mixed as Touya finally finished his sentence, "...in warming you up."
Touya closed his mouth over Hikaru's and the intimate contact with the other was enough to lead both boys into pressing their bodies tighter. Hikaru gasped, steadily put a hand around Touya's neck and with his other hand, clutched Touya's sleeve and pulled him even closer. Warmth had spread over them, both tingled with the other's touch, and the cold snow fell around them, forgotten.
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Hikaru sat up in bed, his heart pulsing quickly as he remembered the feel of his eternal rival against him. A smile graced his features as he thought about how effectively Akira had warmed him up alright. The smile widened as he thought about how Akira had afterwards walked him home and they had shyly but lingeringly kissed each other goodbye. Hikaru wondered about what the future was going to bring for them and started humming happily.