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The night air was biting, signaling the imminent arrival of fall in the country. The temperature steadily dropped, particularly during the mornings and nights, making the cold nearly unbearable. Wrapping up warmly became a necessity to avoid freezing. It may seem like stating the obvious, but not everyone was mindful of this; Glam was the perfect example.
On that particular night, Glam had to prepare for one of the many rehearsals with his band. Their first concert was approaching, urging them to practice relentlessly. This commitment required Glam to sneak out of his house every night without his family catching on. Fortunately, his adept handling of the situation, coupled with his intelligence, ensured that no suspicions were raised.
Yet, for all his cleverness, Glam was also quite clueless. Initially unaffected, the chilly breeze took him by surprise as he waited for his friend Ches. The cold penetrated, causing him to shiver like a piece of jelly.
Opting not to return home for a coat, Glam decided to tough it out. He reasoned that Ches might come and go without him if he didn't wait there. He held on, confident that Ches would appear shortly.
He truly seemed like an idiot.
Once again, Ches was late! An hour and a half had come and gone, and there was still no sign of the black-eyed teen. Glam, increasingly irritated, hugged himself in an attempt to endure the harsh surroundings and seek warmth. As soon as he laid eyes on Ches, Glam intended to scold him for leaving him stranded and alone. His sensitivity to the cold only added to the discomfort.
Closing his eyes to divert his focus from the cold, Glam could hear the hurried footsteps approaching the alley.
"GLAAAM!" The loud shout echoed from the boy in the green jacket, who pounced on the blue-eyed guy, startling him. "I came early this time, so you can't hold anything against me."
One of Glam's eyes trembled at his words. He had to be joking.
"Early? Early!? It's already half past one!" he exclaimed, offended. "You said we would meet at midnight!"
"... Err, midnight? Nah, I remember saying at one A.M.," Ches said in a calm, serene voice. "By the way... why aren't you wearing a coat? We don't want our guitarist to get sick."
"I was waiting for you the whole time, and I didn't know it was gonna be so cold..." His words came out almost like whispers, feeling silly admitting it. "It doesn't matter! Let's go already; they are waiting for us."
The young blond teen tightly gripped the hand of the brown-haired, and the two of them left the alley.
The night was shrouded in darkness, illuminated only by the moon and lanterns, which proved to be more than enough. They walked in silence; only crickets, their footsteps, and the brisk wind could be heard, creating a calm atmosphere that Glam did not seem to appreciate. Occasionally, he glanced sideways at his friend, who wore a vacant expression as if he were staring into nothing. In reality, Ches was contemplating potential conversation topics, finding the silence exceedingly dull.
Observing his friend, Glam noticed that the brown-haired boy was wearing a black scarf and had something else besides his guitar—an unfamiliar bass.
"Where did you get that?" he asked, referring to the instrument.
"Birthday gift for Barbie." That was the nickname that the black-eyed boy gave to the band's bassist. At first, the boy thought it was annoying, but over time, he gradually got used to being called that stupid way. "I'm kidding. He asked me to bring him a bass, and being the great friend that I am, I wasn't going to let him down."
"So, he asked you to steal a bass, and that's exactly what you did."
"I borrowed it," Ches replied defensively. "Yes, yes, yes, I'll return it. You don't have to scold me like you're my mother, shrimp."
Glam decided not to press the issue, and the two boys continued walking together, engaging in trivial conversation. Despite that, Ches couldn't help but wince every time he saw the blond shiver.
'I should do something for him...'
Glam offered silent thanks to the heavens the moment they stepped into the studio.
Setting aside the evident wear and the broken walls that hinted at an imminent collapse, the place exuded a welcoming atmosphere. It didn't take long for Glam's body to thaw in the cozy environment.
Against the wall stood a slender boy with orangish hair, arms crossed, wearing a serious expression. Beside him, the curly-haired drummer, sporting triangular glasses, idly played with drumsticks, mirroring the apparent boredom of his companion.
The newcomers went unnoticed until Ches cheerfully greeted them with a wave. The curly drummer, Bob, took the delay in stride, while Lordi displayed visible anger.
"Where the hell have you been? We've been waiting forever!" The irritation in the slender bassist's voice made Glam uneasy, though Ches merely laughed it off. "You better have a damn good excuse this time. And Glam, what's up with you? You're going to get hypothermia."
Glam glanced at himself momentarily. "I don't see you wearing any coat either."
"Dude, my jacket's lying around somewhere," he replied disinterestedly, pointing to a corner where the garment indeed lay.
"Quit yelling like a pig and grab it." The green-jacketed guy handed over the bass he was carrying, still smirking.
The formerly irate teenager was astonished at the sight of the precious instrument, his anger dissipating like paper in water.
"Man, you actually brought it! I can't believe it!" He cradled the bass carefully, noting its expensive, high-quality make. The shine in his eyes portrayed love at first sight.
"Wait a minute, what happened to your old bass?" The blond asked curiously.
"The idiot lost it," Ches replied without giving the other time to respond. "I don't know how someone can lose something as precious as a bass, really."
The bassist grunted in annoyance, ready to retort before being interrupted by Bob.
"Let's get started, shall we?"
The others nodded and assumed their positions. Glam and Ches connected their guitars to the amp, producing a distorted sound soon imitated by Lordi. The robust drummer raised his arms, drumsticks poised to descend.
Then, Ches unleashed a tremendous scream.
"WAIT! Glam, your hands! They are... frozen."
"What?" The blond and the curly said in unison.
"I said, um," He cleared his throat, a faint reddish tint appearing on his cheeks. "Your hands are frozen; maybe we should wait for them to... warm... up...?"
Glam was utterly bewildered.
"… Dude."
Lordi found himself torn between laughter and exasperation. Did he have to wait over an hour just for someone to realize Glam's hands were frozen when they were about to start rehearsing?
Yes, he did.
Ches could sense terror coursing through his body, facing a murderous gaze. But he was right. The moment Glam took his hand in the alley, he realized his hands were too cold. Glam couldn't fathom why this seemingly trivial detail mattered so much, and what he blurted out had been purely spontaneous.
"Aaaawww, you care about him..." the drummer teased in a mocking tone. "While we're at it, why don't you warm him up, huh, lil' green man?"
"Excuse me!?" exclaimed the light-haired.
"Shut your ass up, don't talk bullshit!" Ches added.
Perfect, Bob had unleashed two unruly beasts. First, they yelled at him, and then, for some unknown reason, they yelled at each other. The other two witnessed this comical and absurd scene, with the drummer making a superhuman effort not to burst into laughter.
"Pssst! I bet they came late because they were busy making out," he whispered to the bassist, finally addressing the question from a few minutes ago.
"Duh, obviously." Deep down, he wanted to be angry because the three of them were distracted, but somehow he found the situation amusing, so he let it slide. He wasn't going to be a killjoy.
Still, they couldn't fool around forever. After the drama and laughter subsided, they got serious and played like in their previous rehearsals. The night passed like any other, without further interruptions.
The hours stretched out, long and exhausting. The first light of dawn painted the sky in hues of pink blended with intense orange as the moon gracefully yielded to the emerging sun, marking the start of a new day.
Ches and Glam left together after an entire night spent playing with friends. Even with their worn-out bodies begging for respite, they trudged along, occasionally succumbing to yawns.
The brunet's original plan was to indulge in a solid ten-hour sleep, a routine he typically adhered to. Glam couldn't say the same, though. He needed to return home early and maintain the facade of a good, demure young man to avoid trouble.
The morning, though milder than the night, still carried a cool breeze that did not favor someone so sensitive to cool weather. Tremors and chills soon manifested, and the brunet couldn't help but feel a pang of pity watching his friend shudder involuntarily every few minutes.
'I really should help him.'
"Wait, zombie."
Ches halted, his serious gaze meeting his friend's.
He peeled off the beloved green jacket, leaving himself in a T-shirt and the dark scarf providing a semblance of warmth. With the jacket in hand, he maintained the serious expression. Glam looked on in surprise, first meeting his best friend's eyes and then lowering his gaze to the offered garment.
"You... you don't have to do this; it's not necessary. I'll be fine...!"
"Take it. You have your weird hiding places, right? Just save it for me when you're close to home, that's all."
The other hesitated, lips pursed in uncertainty about whether to heed his words. Just as he contemplated reaching for it, Ches gently laid the jacket upon him, prompting a blush to creep up on his cheeks from the unexpected closeness.
"Why are you doing this? I thought you loved your jacket as much as you love your guitar."
'Because your well-being really matters to me, don't be so dense!'
"I appreciate you. Come on, man, you're my best friend; let people care about you." Ches averted his gaze, embarrassed to look Glam in the eyes. "Your daddy won't like you catching a fever, heh..."
A sweet smile graced the blue-eyed teen's lips. "... Thank you," Glam's voice sounded soft and grateful as he happily accepted the warm garment.
Now it was the brunet's turn to blush. With a half-joking, half-nervous tone, he added, "Give it back to me tomorrow, got it?" He raised an arm, signaling a handshake. "Don't give me that look, Glammy. What's the worst that can happen?"
They parted ways, each heading in their own direction. Glam crossed the street and, within minutes, reached home, making a quick stop at one of his secret hiding spots in the alley. Retrieving his guitar case, he tidied up his unruly hair and put on the facade of a well-off young man. Placing the jacket inside, he took a moment to hold it, looking at it fondly.
"Dear heaven. What's happening to me?"
When you make a promise, you have to keep it. The following night, Glam made his way to their customary meeting spot, donned in a coat and carrying Ches's jacket in his arms. Fortunately, the dark-eyed guy promptly arrived, clad in the same attire as the night before. Did he ever change clothes?
The blond greeted him with enthusiasm, walking briskly toward his friend.
"Ah, what's up, zombie? I hope you brought my... AAACHOO!"
Ches suddenly sneezed violently, leaving a trail of snot on the floor. The sight was so unpleasant that Glam couldn't conceal his disgust. Nevertheless, his expression swiftly transformed when the brunet lifted his head.
Shit. He looked haggard. The tan of his face had faded, and his nose resembled a red lightbulb, leaking liquid mucus. The real zombie was him, not Glam.
"Oh... Ches, you got sick because of me..." Glam touched the other's soft cheek, frowning with guilt. If Ches had wrapped up, he wouldn't be sick.
"... Huh, don't worry..." Ches offered a reassuring smile, stretching from ear to ear. "I'd rather get sick instead of you. It's no... aaah... atchew!" Another sneeze.
Despite Glam's persistent thought of being at fault, his best friend's tender smile was so infectious that he couldn't help but smile in return.
A warmth bloomed in his chest. A warmth not induced by his coat.
Two boys in love strolled together through the frigid streets of the city, seemingly unaffected by the cold. The mere presence of the other was enough to keep them both warm.