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Kazuha braced his hands against the windowsill, watching as the snow fell outside. It had been a while since he’d last spent winter indoors—with his other half warming his bed, and a crackling fire to relax by each evening, this particular stagnancy was far from stifling.
Still, the winter climate in Inazuma always fell so cold. Sea breezes drifting in from all corners and ocean water starting to freeze over, the nation felt more secluded than ever. It used to worry Kazuha. But now, he doesn't mind so much. With Gorou all settled and cozy in his den of blankets, and warmth reverberating around their little cabin, he could appreciate the privacy. Tucked away in a secret corner of the world, far from prying eyes and nosy onlookers.
This was the first significant snowfall of the season, and it made their lodging all the more idyllic. Powdered trees stretched across the horizon, and the twittering of the robin bird was faint in his ears—Kazuha felt as if he was living inside a novel.
A romance novel, of course.
The tale of two lovers, warm in each other’s company despite the biting frost outside. They’d watch the scenery together, laughing as foxes jumped around in the snow, and catch snowflakes that remind them of one another. As the sun began to set, they’d dance together in a gentle embrace, footprints marking the ground as a symbol of their love.
Ahem. It’s not as if Kazuha was familiar with such stories.
Regardless, right now was not the time for such particular musings.
Winter brought extra challenges and extra threat, especially when it came to hunting or foraging. The temperatures could make long stake outs dangerous, the snow flattened the terrain and covered up ledges and holes, poisonous berries and nuts hid among those of edibility…
Kazuha wasn’t inexperienced, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t glad to have someone so capable accompanying him this season.
“Sprightly Pine Trees,” Kazuha named, passing a yunomi cup into Gorou’s hands. “My very own blend of matcha. I met with a remarkable tea master during my travels—I’m certain you will like this.”
Gorou shifted up against the headboard of their bed, mind still foggy with sleep as he smiled a ‘thank you’. After surviving for so long on the rations of war, Gorou would gladly accept anything Kazuha had to give him as a luxury.
The yunomi was warm in his palm, his fingers toasty as they grasped around the pottery. The aroma was entrancing—just what he would expect from a man whose nose was (nearly) as perceptive as his own.
Kazuha’s comforting weight disappeared from the bed as he stood, returning to the cabin’s only window and sliding back the cover.
“I apologize for waking you so early, my love, but I thought you may be eager to see today’s weather. Perhaps we could go and enjoy the scenery together?”
He was sporting a coy kind of expression; Gorou tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. Of course he didn’t mind being woken suddenly, not when it was Kazuha’s face greeting him with a smile. Wandering over to him, Gorou’s expression fell in surprise.
He grinned as he leaned against the windowsill, tail swishing behind him as it wagged gently. Kazuha laughed, reaching out and brushing his fingers against the fur.
“I’d like that, Kazuha,” Gorou answered as he beamed at him. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen snow like this. It’s so crisp…”
Resting their heads together, Kazuha wrapped an arm around Gorou’s waist. “Indeed. As white as the cotton plant, and soft to match.”
“What say you we turn this into a day trip, hm? I have some items I wish to collect, and this weather is simply full of poetic inspiration,” Kazuha asked.
“We have the whole season ahead of us, Kazuha. What’s making you so eager?”
“I just... want to do something special with you, my sweet. Should not our first snowfall together be one to remember?”
Gorou closed his eyes with a smile, chuckling softly. “A date. You’re asking me out on a date, aren’t you?”
Kazuha’s face warmed a little, and he pulled Gorou closer into him. “If that is what you wish to call it, I accept. A date.”
Hands smoothing down the fabric of Gorou’s hanten, Kazuha sighed.
“I don’t quite understand why you’re so opposed to thicker robes, Gorou.”
“Robes…” Gorou glanced down at his pants with a sheepish grin, the fabric hanging loosely from his legs. “They, uh, kind of flatten my tail. I find the kimono to be quite the uncomfortable garment, regardless of how pleasing it looks on yourself.”
A finger booped against Gorou’s nose, and Kazuha pouted playfully. “I just worry for your health. I fear you may catch the cold and fall ill—I’d be the one having to look after you, you know.”
The idea was almost appetizing at first, but Gorou quickly disregarded the thought. No amount of flattery could save him from Kazuha’s scolding.
Gorou could only promise to be careful, scratching at the back of his neck as Kazuha shot him warning glances.
Kazuha trailed behind Gorou, his sandals leaving a trail of imprints in the snow. He watched Gorou with curiosity, noticing with ease just how rigid the man seemed.
“Aren’t you going to play in the snow, Gorou?” he taunted, the corner of his lips curling up. “I must say, I would’ve expected you to be bounding around, yet your feet seem to be stuck to the ground.”
Gorou stiffened, arms crossing over his chest. “You—I am not a pup, Kazuha. I… I’m perfectly happy just walking around.”
Cold struck the back of his neck with a thud, and Gorou yelped, whirling around to gawp at his attacker. “Kazuha! ” he growled.
Kazuha only laughed, leaning down to pack together another ball of snow.
“Your mouth says you’re not interested, but your tail betrays you, little doggy. Let loose, Gorou.”
“Oh it is on, little samurai!” Gorou barked playfully, shaking snow out of his hair. “Prepare to meet your match: my aim is unrivaled!”
Kazuha didn’t doubt his words.
Snow pelted his chest before he could even think of a comeback, Gorou giggling as Kazuha gapes in false insult.
They played together for a while, snowflakes dancing in the air alongside their cackles of laughter. Kazuha spluttered as a chill thumped into his face, frowning as he spat snow from his lips. Gorou clasped his hand over his mouth, piping up with a bashful ‘sorry! ’.
Kazuha dove after the rascal, toppling them both back and down into the plush snow. He glared down at him, before his expression split into joy and he pecked Gorou’s cheek. Rolling off of him, Kazuha stared up at the sky. Gorou watched his boyfriend, smiling fondly. Winter’s wind whistled them both a jovial tune.
Kazuha grasped Gorou’s wrist, pulling the man up onto his feet with a sigh. Their hands trailed across each other’s bodies, brushing off snow and smoothing out creases in their clothing. Kazuha lifted up one of the baskets hooked over his arm, and Gorou took it in his hands.
“What’s this for?” Gorou asked, swinging the hamper by his side. Kazuha held one too, but this one wasn’t emptied—Gorou could smell a faint sweetness inside.
“For pine-cones. I recently purchased a bundle of twine, I was hoping we could try making wreaths someday soon.” Kazuha smiled. “I’ll teach you.”
“Found one!” Gorou exclaimed, holding his arm proudly above his head. Giving him a small applause, Kazuha praised him sweetly. Another pine-cone dropped into their basket, an ample pile now sitting inside.
“Good boy,” Kazuha teased, hands trailing across Gorou’s chest and slithering over his shoulders. “Now, how shall I reward such a fine effort?”
Walking the boy backwards until he could move no further, Kazuha pressed Gorou back against the trunk of a tree—snow rained down from leaves above them, and a basket dropped down by their feet, pine-cones slipping out.
Kazuha mouthed along his jaw, and Gorou swallowed nervously, hands finding their place on his samurai’s waist. Gorou was still… adjusting, to all the physical contact. War is a lonely place, after all, and one grows unfamiliar with such affection overtime. And Kazuha was frightfully touch-starved—they made an amusing pair, both longing for each other’s touch yet often too shy to ever ask for it. Kazuha usually took initiative.
They kissed, Gorou grinning against Kazuha’s lips as his tail thumped against the bark behind him. Gorou’s head dropped onto his partner’s shoulder, and he sighed happily, Kazuha running gentle fingers through his hair.
“Kazuha. Your pine-cones are on the ground.”
“And who’s fault is that, hmm?”
Gorou laughed, pressing his tongue against Kazuha’s neck, sniggering as he jolted in surprise.
“Yours,” he answered, nose brushing against pale skin as he closed his eyes.
Two lovers relaxed atop a woven blanket, gazes cast out into the distance—they sat before a lake, water frozen over and tranquil. Gorou wasn’t quite sure how Kazuha managed to fit so much inside one basket, but he didn’t question it. He was learning that the other nations of Teyvat had such brilliant pieces of technology—perhaps, he picked something up during his travels? (The more he thought about this, the sillier it began to sound.)
Kazuha reached for his hand, thumb caressing his knuckles lovingly.
“Your fingers are going blue, Gorou.” He grasped the man’s hand between his own, lifting it to his face and exhaling warm breaths across the skin. “...Might you be getting a little frigid?”
Gorou clutched his hanten as if it were a shawl, and he nodded reluctantly. “Just a little. It’s alright, though. I want to stay here a little longer.”
Kazuha shifted closer to him—snow crunched beneath the blanket—before draping himself over Gorou, hugging onto his side and squeezing him tightly. He burrowed his face into Gorou’s neck, breathing against him.
“There.” Kazuha’s voice was muffled, sounding gentle hums and vibrations across Gorou’s skin. “The wind shan’t bite at you whenever I am right by you.”
Gorou smiled, nudging his cheek against Kazuha’s hair. “I’m the one with the natural heat here. Are you sure you’re not just taking advantage of my body’s high temperatures?”
“Even if you had the body of a glacier, I would still enjoy your embrace, Gorou,” Kazuha commented so casually, making him blush. “Though... I do enjoy it when you’re warm and toasty, such as when we mellow before the fireplace.”
Kazuha observed the snowscape around them—Gorou’s head was a comforting weight in his lap, and he grasped a notebook in his hands. With his boyfriend sleeping across his legs, his breaths soft and delicate in Kazuha’s ears, it became increasingly difficult to focus on anything that wasn’t Gorou.
He wanted to hold him—to touch him, to kiss him, to show him that he’ll never have to be ‘alone’ again. That Kazuha was never going to run away again. Gorou deserved the world, and Kazuha was going to make sure he got it.
Kazuha admitted that he felt a little like a teenager in love. His heart raced whenever Gorou was near, and he could hardly bear to keep his hands away from his body. To him, he was the luckiest man in all of Inazuma.
He sighed, tapping his pen against the spine of his notebook. Inspiration fluttered all around him, but he only had one thing on his mind.
Spring becomes winter
Yet my heart remains burning
Warmed sweet by your kiss
Kazuha squirmed, placing a hand over his chest as his face heated up. No, he thought to himself, that’s awfully corny. But it was the truth—and the most wonderful pieces of art are always born from undisguised honesty.
Snow rests in my hair
My fingers combing through yours
Then we are in bliss
Hand cupping Gorou’s cheek, he leaned down—awkwardly so—to press a kiss against his forehead.
“Mm?” Gorou piqued up, his ear twitching from curiosity. He was sprawled across Kazuha’s legs, torso draped over his thighs and chin resting in his palms. “What’s this?”
“This is a recipe I picked up in Liyue.” Kazuha held a dumpling-like treat between his fingers, pressing it to Gorou’s lips. “They call it Tang Yuan—it’s a dessert commonly eaten during their Lantern Rite Festival.”
Gorou took a bite through powdered dough, sesame seed filling spilling out clumsily.
“I did have to alter the recipe, however. It’s typically served within a warm syrup—a soup, if you will—but I concluded that these adjustments would help to make transportation a breeze.”
“So… mochi?” Gorou asked gracelessly, playful tongue licking Kazuha’s fingers clean.
Kazuha smiled, petting the fluff of Gorou’s hair. “I suppose you’re right. My rewrite does have a… hefty Inazuman twist. One can never truly escape their roots, hm?”
“Mm… Still, I like it,” Gorou yawned, body stretching out and trembling. “I’m not the biggest fan of sweets. But if it’s you…“
Mouth curling into a smug little smile, Gorou wriggled off of his lap, clasping his arms around Kazuha’s neck and tugging him down onto him. Kazuha laughed against his lips, and Gorou’s heart thumped loudly beneath his ribs.
“Pfft—Come now, eager little puppy, perhaps we should be taking this indoors?” he suggested, as Gorou planted a trail of x’s across his face.
“Just a little longer. I don’t want to let go of you yet.”
Gorou flopped down onto the couch, shivering as heat licked at his skin. Kazuha was hanging up their snow-splattered clothes, hoping the warmth from the fireplace would dry them without damage. He was soon falling into Gorou’s embrace, arms wrapping around each other and bodies tangling together in a familiar dance.
Grasping around Kazuha’s waist, Gorou rested his head on the man’s chest, nuzzling into him. His fingers tingled as warmth seeped back into them. Kazuha smiled, brushing over the small of Gorou’s back.
“Comfortable, my love?” he asked, despite already knowing the answer.
Gorou only hummed in response, his face pressing deeper against Kazuha’s chest. All was silent except the soft chorus of their breathing, and Kazuha let his eyes flicker shut, mind at peace. With the wind but a gentle whistle outside, and the crackling fire warming their loving embrace, Kazuha was in love.
He had fallen, deeply so.
And as Gorou’s ear twitched against him, tail swishing into his leg, he never wanted to climb back out.