Work Text:
Akane couldn’t believe what he was doing. Less than half an hour until midnight on New Year’s Eve and instead of being bundled up under a mountain of blankets as he watched the timer on his phone slowly tick by like he normally did every year, he was wandering through the empty streets of his hometown looking for a certain exorcist. One that was proving impossibly difficult to find at that.
Rounding a street corner, the cold air burned his lungs as he breathed in. He had sped up to a jog as the minutes went on and on. He couldn’t have been that far away. Really, what a hassle this entire thing was. It was just like Teru to do that when he was trying to do something nice for him for a change.
Flurries of snow were falling overhead in a spiraling dance, shining in the low light of the streetlamps all around. He drew his shoulders tighter, shivering against the biting winter air and holding the extra scarf he’d brought along closer to his chest.
There were only 10 minutes left until midnight when he finally came across the deserted playground. It was the type of location he normally wouldn’t have given a passing glance in the daytime. He was far past his days of playing there, but he noticed a figure sitting alone on one of the swings. It was only when he got closer that he realized it was Teru.
“There you are!”
Teru looked up from where he was staring at his lap, pushing himself back half-heartedly on the swing.
“Do you have any idea what time it is?” Akane asked, taking a seat on the swing next to him.
“I could ask you the same thing, Aoi,” Teru said, giving him a smile unbefitting of the coldness in the air surrounding them. That smile could melt glaciers if he tried, Akane thought. “What are you doing out so late?”
“Making sure you don’t freeze to death.” And with that, he shoved the neatly folded scarf into Teru’s hands before he could protest.
He stared at it like he was unsure of what to do with it. “Aw, was someone worried about me? That’s cute-”
5 minutes left until midnight.
“Oh, be quiet and just put it on. You can’t possibly be warm in that.”
Only a thin-looking teal windbreaker was protecting him from the below freezing temperatures. Though, it looked to be a few sizes too big, hanging loosely off of his torso.
“I’ve been moving around all night,” Teru said, gesturing towards a large duffel bag and his sword laying on the ground beneath the swing, “Don’t want to wear too much and overheat.”
Despite that, Teru unfurled the scarf and started to wrap it around his neck when he stopped abruptly and held out the other end for Akane to take.
“Here, you look cold.”
Akane took the other end of the scarf and wrapped it around himself, having to lean in to make it fit. He could feel his face start to flush, deciding to chalk that up to how cold it was outside rather than how close they were.
A nearly empty can of coffee dangled loosely from Teru’s free hand, making Akane sneer at it. “I need to make you some proper coffee when you’re finished. Something nice and warm.”
“I guess I have something to look forward to at the end of the night then, hmm?”
3 minutes left until midnight.
“You can’t even take a break for just one night? On a holiday?” Akane asked.
“You’ll have to lodge a complaint with all of the supernaturals prowling around at this hour,” Teru shrugged, “I know, how rude of them to not respect human holidays.”
“Maybe I will.”
Just 1 minute left until midnight,
“I have to say I’m surprised,” Teru said, his breath crystalizing into a fine white mist in the air. Dozens of snowflakes had gotten caught in his hair. It was quite the sight really.
“About?”
He turned slightly and gave him that smile—that stupid smile that melted his heart like the upcoming spring would chase away the winter. “That you’re out here with me instead of trying to get a New Year’s Kiss from Akane-san.”
Akane turned sharply with a huff, pulling on their shared scarf and forcing Teru to lean in further to bridge the distance. “You know I don’t… do that anymore.”
He laughed in a way that undid any of the tension building up in his chest. “I know, I know. I’m amazing company. It’s no wonder you’d be out here in the freezing cold just to get a taste of my charming personality.”
Blood thrummed in his ears, overpowering the sound of the ticking clock tower in the distance. Just a few more seconds until midnight. It was now or never, he supposed.
Before he could take another moment to overthink it and back out, Akane turned back to face Teru and their lips met halfway just as the clock tower chimed and signaled the start of a fresh year. The rising warmth between them chased away the cold and for that perfect moment it was just them alone together. Nothing else in the world could have torn them apart.
Teru was stunned when the kiss finally broke, blinking in surprise with pink splattering his cheeks. “You-”
Akane was standing almost as soon as he pulled away, nearly knocking foreheads with Teru as he unwrapped the scarf and started to flee. He drew the collar of his hoodie up to cover his face as he did. “Okay, bye!”
Teru hastily grabbed his bag and sword before following close behind him. “Hey! Are you just going to leave after that?”
“Yes!”
“Hey, wait up!”