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“I wish that I could be the laces on your shoes
Then I'll trust you I'll never let you stumble and make you bruise
I wish that I could only breathe in front of you
Then I guess I'll just have to turn my life for you.”
Sanbyoshi, RADWIMPS
The soft white of the snow fluttered around them, the flakes drifting down from the sky and onto the ice. The entire area was blanketed in white, the trees barely recognizable in the distance. Mitsuki was sitting on a flat rock, with Yamato kneeling in front of him, tying his laces. The shorter idol had to resist pulling Yamato’s hat off to laugh at his hat hair, and instead simply appreciated that his friend was tying his laces.
His...boy...friend. Boyfriend.
That was going to take some getting used to.
Mitsuki could feel his cheeks heating up and darkening with a blush as he thought about the implications of what the two of them had become. It had taken a lot of back and forth and confused feelings, but finally, finally, the two idiots had come to realize that they cared for each other a lot deeper than just as friends. And despite Yamato feeling like he wasn't good enough for Mitsuki, he reassured him that he was, and always would be, enough.
“Mitsu? You’re making a weird face...are they too tight? Or are you really just that in love with me already?”
“Shut up old man!”
The content smirk on his face said it all, and he reached his gloved hand out to pull Mitsuki up by his.
“Come on then.”
Mitsuki took Yamato’s hand, his legs wobbly like a doe walking for the first time. However, as soon as his feet hit the ice, he pulled Yamato forward with him.
“Slow down, Mitsu!” he laughed, his lanky legs struggling to keep up with his companion.
The smaller man was naturally athletic, immediately letting go of Yamato’s hand and speeding ahead.
“Sorry that your old bones just can’t keep up!” Mitsuki bellowed a laugh, pulling his hat further down on his ears. His orange chevron scarf fluttered behind him as he sped across the ice. Gliding over the lake, Mitsuki felt free. Alive. And happy. Here with Yamato, (despite him trailing desperately behind him,) he felt at peace with himself.
“Yamato! Come on!” he waved, beckoning to Yamato who had fallen behind.
He couldn't help but smile at the way Mitsuki zipped across the ice. Most things Mitsuki did made his chest explode with fireworks. Rarely did he find himself these days able to steady his heart. It raced, no matter how the two were spending their time together. He shook the thoughts from his head. The taller man huffed, his breath visible in the cold air. Finally, cutting across the lake in true cheater's fashion, he caught up.
“You’re fast Mitsu. For some reason, I thought I was going to be able to hold your hand and teach you how to skate…”
Mitsuki laughed loudly at that. “Eh? You really thought I was that helpless? Sorry for ruining your dreams!” he couldn’t help the smile that split his face.
“Since you’re not helpless, we might as well race. The last one to do 3 loops has to buy the other man a beer. Two!”
“And pay for dinner.”
Yamato quirked his eyebrow. “Raising the stakes huh? Alright. Deal.” They both skidded to a stop, and Mitsuki stretched his arms in preparation.
“Ready…”
“Set…”
“Go!” They both yelled in unison, their skates making a shredding noise as they bolted across the ice. Mitsuki's blood was pumping once again, the adrenaline speeding through his veins. Yamato was close behind, and Mitsuki felt like his breath was right on his neck. The thought sent a chill down his spine.
“Keep up! Or I'll really start feeling bad for you!” Mitsuki bellowed, his voice echoing across the empty expanse of this lonely lake in the woods. Despite the two being the only ones around, Mitsuki felt warm with his current company. He swiveled and began skating backward, watching as Yamato raced to speed up.
“Now you're just showing off, Mitsu!” Yamato scowled, racing forward until his skate suddenly hit a divet in the ice.
“Fuck!”
Mitsuki wasn't sure who said it first, but he immediately stopped as he watched Yamato fly completely backward, his arms comically flapping to regain balance. He failed, landing flat on his ass and then sliding until he fell further onto his back.
There was a beat of silence.
Mitsuki wasn't sure if he was allowed to laugh just yet, even if he really, really wanted to.
“...Are you okay?”
“My ass hurts. You can laugh now.”
Mitsuki’s laughter cut through the air, and he clutched his stomach. The pealing noise of his laughs echoed through the air. The sound filled Yamato's head with a flurry of thoughts, his cold body completely warmed by Mitsuki's summertime laughter. It was as if the sun had come out to warm them. Bright. Unyielding. Relentless. The words swirled in Yamato's head as he glanced over at Mitsuki, before seeing him lurch forward with another series of giggles.
“Mitsu, watch out--”
But it was too late, Mitsuki was down for the count, tripping over Yamato's unlaced skates and hitting the ice. Yikes. He crashed into Yamato's knee, and he let out a yelp as he felt Mitsuki fall on top of him. That was definitely going to leave a bruise. Or several.
They were both laughing now.
Mitsuki laid his head on Yamato’s chest, his laughter stopping him from lifting his head up. There were tears forcing themselves from his eyes as his sides ached. He couldn’t imagine himself happier. Yamato’s arms wrapped around Mitsuki’s waist as he laughed too. The sheer ridiculousness of it all made both of them cackle with laughter.
After the giggles had subsided, Mitsuki lifted his head to look at Yamato, who was still residually chuckling. He shivered, his back still on the ice. “Can I get up? My ass is probably stuck to the ice.”
“Wait.”
Mitsuki hovered over Yamato, his warm breath heating his face. He fixed Yamato’s glasses that had fallen askew from his fall. Mitsuki pressed a gloved hand to Yamato’s reddened cheek, and he leaned in. Both of their eyes fluttered shut in anticipation for the warmth. The kiss was brief, their chapped lips pressing against one another in the biting cold. But despite the weather, both of them could feel their bodies heating up.
“Okay. That was nice. But. My ass is definitely frostbitten.”
“You’re always ruining the moment!” But, Yamato did have a point. It was about time that they returned to their housing for the weekend.
Though they both stood and clung to one another to regain balance--Yamato teetering as if he would fall once more--they managed to stand. Yamato dusted the shavings of ice from his clothes.
“Okay. I think. I think I’m done for today.”
“Wanna head back?”
“Yeah.”
“Sake on you?”
“Sake on me. And my frostbitten ass.”
Mitsuki lifted the small cup of sake, holding it up to toast with his companion. This wasn’t their first glass. And it surely wouldn’t be their last. Originally, Iori and Yamato were roomed together, while Mitsuki and Tamaki were next door. However, Iori convinced Tamaki to switch so that Yamato and Mitsuki could be together. It only took a little bribery. Mitsuki took the gesture as Iori’s gracious blessing. The two beds had been pushed together to make a somewhat of a fort, with the blankets and pillows strewn across haphazardly. Sleeping together was warmer, anyway.
“This one is to you and me.”
“To your butt, and my butt.”
The shorter man almost protested, but he couldn’t help but laugh at Yamato’s crude jokes.
“To us and our butts.”
“Kanpai!”
They both sipped their sake contentedly, unsure if the blush on their cheeks was from the alcohol or their close proximity. Yamato further scooted closer to Mitsuki, his entire weight leaning into him. He pressed his lips into Mitsuki’s neck, lazily kissing back up to his chin.
“Heavy…” Mitsuki complained, but he couldn’t help the butterflies fluttering in his chest at Yamato’s drunken mouth. Despite his distraction, he finished his sake and slid the glass onto the table. Yamato downed the rest of his, much to Mitsuki’s chagrin.
“You love it.” Yamato commented, laying his head in Mitsuki’s lap and looking up at him. Those bright, orange eyes that sparkled like amber and shone like the sun. Sometimes he hated how bare they made him feel. There wasn’t a thing that got past Mitsuki, and that made Yamato feel vulnerable.
“I love you.” Mitsuki replied back, his hands threading in Yamato’s hair, his nails scratching against his skin and Yamato arching into it like a cat. He looked down at the man in his lap. Stupid, completely irrational, and definitely an idiot. However, Yamato’s cat-like eyes widened at his realization of Mitsuki’s words. And that reaction made Mitsuki realize what he had just said, his ministrations halting immediately.
“You--”
“Shut up! I-I…” It wasn’t like he didn’t mean it. Of course, he loved Yamato, just saying it out loud was--
“Don’t worry. I love you too, Mitsu. Now go back to petting me.” he shut his eyes, leaning his face into Mitsuki’s hand.
“Right, right…” he smiled contentedly and continued to rub Yamato’s head. Things were still the same between them, it was just that the weights on their chests had finally been lifted.
Despite the ice on the windowpane, the heat between their bodies and hearts kept them warm.