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Bright freshly fallen snow covered the river sidewalk. In the sky, countless dots burned calmly, reflected in the two pairs of eyes below. Fyodor and Nikolai strolled along the frozen river, the crunch of the snow under their feet left unaccompanied by idle splashes of water.
“I cannot believe you,” Fyodor said under his breath. “How could you even consider it in this cold?”
Nikolai grinned and, as if trying to prove a point, took another sip of his iced coffee. In truth, there was more ice, syrup, and cream than coffee in his cup. Witnessing this atrocity of a drink actually being consumed made Fyodor shudder and pull his coat tighter around himself. Despite wearing his warmest coat and his favourite fluffy ushanka, and holding a cup of hot tea, Fyodor was freezing.
Perhaps going out for a walk in such weather hadn’t been the best idea, but when Nikolai ordered their drinks to go, Fyodor had found himself unable to object. Past Fyodor had been quite foolish to only imagine a peaceful walk under the beautiful starry sky and not think of the minus degree temperature under said sky. And lost in his daydream, he had allowed Nikolai to lead him by the hand to the deserted snow-covered alley meandering along the Neva.
However, Fyodor didn’t regret the unexpected turn of events as he listened to Nikolai’s ramblings. A neat white braid, an untied scarf, and a long unbuttoned overcoat swayed freely behind the man who walked by Fyodor’s side, their shoulders brushing now and then.
Suddenly Nikolai stopped and grabbed Fyodor’s hand.
“Shh,” putting a finger to his lips, he whispered cautiously: “Look at them!”
Fyodor followed Nikolai’s gaze. Two ducks lay snuggled against each other near the frozen water, in the middle of a small pile of snow.
“Aww…” Nikolai cooed before adding pensively: “I wonder if they’re cold… Fedya?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you cold?”
Having been outside for close to an hour at this point, and his hot drink long since gone, Fyodor was visibly trembling. But seeing the sad look on Nikolai’s red face and the twinkle in his eyes, Fyodor had to bite his tongue and smiled instead.
With a chuckle, Nikolai took his scarf off.
“Here,” he carefully wrapped it around Fyodor’s neck twice, allowing him to sink into that familiar lovely scent the fabric carried. “I think you need it more.”
Locking eyes with Fyodor, Nikolai pulled the ends of the scarf and their lips met. Fyodor’s hand slowly made its way under the unbuttoned overcoat, tightly grasping at the soft woollen sweater as if his life depended on the warmth radiating from Nikolai’s body, until nothing else existed and he melted completely into the kiss.
Then - a slight push and the world spinned. The first thought that crossed Fyodor’s mind was of another fainting spell, they weren't uncommon for him. But as his back hit the ground, Fyodor realised what had happened.
“Oh my, you’re not hurt, are you?” Nikolai asked between fits of laughter. “You should be more careful, it’s icy!” Despite the feigned concern in his voice, Nikolai continued to giggle quietly.
To say Fyodor was furious would be an understatement. His cheeks were burning; heart and head - pounding from rage, shame and pain. Although, if he had to think about it, the fall hadn’t been that painful since Nikolai had pushed him into a big fluffy pile of snow.
Finally, Nikolai bent down and offered him a hand.
“You’re so lucky to have m-” Nikolai didn’t get to finish his sentence as a loud thump cut him off. His smugness quickly turned into whining. “Heeey! That wasn’t nice, Fedya!”
Fyodor tilted his head to see a small pitiful pout on his friend’s face, lying beside him, and couldn’t help his lips stretch into a wide grin. “You shouldn’t have stepped there. Ice, you know?”
Cheerful laughter echoed in the silence of the night.
“Ah, being with you is always so much fun!” Nikolai exclaimed.
Suddenly the heap of snow felt far from cold…
“Well, we’re already here, so why waste the opportunity!” With these words, Nikolai rolled in the snow, further away from Fyodor. “Come on, Fedya! If you move you won’t be cold. Let’s see who makes the better one!”
Angel. Tousled silver hair reflecting the moonlight, Nikolai looked as if he was flying - limbs painting the wings he so longed for. And now, at last, they were brought into existence, visible on the sparkling snow around him. A dream come true, albeit only for a fleeting moment.
Remaining motionless on his spot, Fyodor watched his friend take off with a smile. Only when Nikolai’s movements came to a halt, did Fyodor become aware of his own pounding heart. Why would it beat so fast when he himself hadn’t moved at all?
“Ah! Where’s yours?” Nikolai gaped at where Fyodor’s wings should have been. The note of disappointment showing through his voice made it more difficult for Fyodor to reply. It wasn’t that there had been no time; perhaps he had been too mesmerised by Nikolai’s excitement… or perhaps wings weren’t meant for everyone.
”It’s fine, I’ll lend you mine,” Nikolai chuckled and patted the place beside him. They were not supposed to carry more than one , but Fyodor couldn’t resist the impulse - he settled into the angel’s arms. They were not supposed to carry more than one, and flying too close to desire was inevitably going to lead to their fall.
Yet somehow, Nikolai didn’t care about his broken wing. He took Fyodor’s hands and brought them to his own lips before mumbling.
“Are you cold?”
“Yes.”
Fyodor’s hands were showered with pecks; “Now?”
“A bit.”
With a growing smile, Nikolai pulled Fyodor closer and wrapped him in a bear hug. The chilling air no longer bit the latter’s cheeks, nestled in the safety of Nikolai’s soft sweater. An odd feeling bloomed in Fyodor’s stomach; one that appeared whenever his friend happened to be so close; a feeling that seemed to cloud Fyodor’s mind…
“Woah! Look at that!” a voice jolted him out of his half-asleep state. A little longer and Fyodor would have really drifted off to sleep.
Nikolai shifted, his gaze fixed on the sky, and Fyodor mirrored him. A myriad of tiny snowflakes were falling down, gracefully landing on their faces and melting in an instant. Nikolai stuck his tongue out, trying to catch them. Perhaps, after all, even falling could be filled with beauty, grace and harmony…