Work Text:
꧁ ༺ ─── ˚₊‧꒰ა 𖤓 ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ ─── ༻ ꧂
It was not winter yet— but it seems like the grasp of air inside of the Blue Lock facility had changed. The mornings were cooler now, well— we could say that the Blue Lock facility is a high-tech and climate-controlled building so it wouldn't be freezing cold like outdoors but nonetheless, the ambience of winter had started to ooze during morning drills, outdoor training fields, and even hallways before the heating acts up.
⪻────𖤓────⪼
Anyways ....The Blue Lock facility has not turned up the heaters yet; the morning had that freezing patina— not literally freezing, but it's cold enough to make your fingers stiff if you stood still for too long.
Hiori rubbed his hands together, the lights overhead buzzing softly, sterile and bright, even so it carried that early cold morning chill that came of course due to the impending season shift (and maybe coz of heaters not turned on). His fingers were tingling as he had been dozing off and standing still for a while now…— since he had woken up early for the morning drills.
⪻────𖤓────⪼
Hiori slips his hands onto his jacket pockets as he makes his walk inside of the Blue Lock facility hall.
He exhaled softly, watching a faint mist form and curl out of his breath ࿐ ࿔*:･゚
Hiori could tell that the season was shifting; sunlight had turned pale and thin, even the air smelled sharper somehow….— he thought while he was walking through the hallways to go to the training pitch.
⪻────𖤓────⪼
He has now arrived at the training pitch and of course..Rin Itoshi is already there; across the field quietly, focused, and momentously tying his shoelace acting like the cold was nothing other than an inconvenience.
“He’s not even wearin’ gloves…”
Hiori walks towards Rin’s and stops at an equitable distance, Hiori then tilts his head, his tone light but unknowingly teasing.
“–mornin’....ya’ know it's not as comfy as autumn anymore.., ya’?”
Rin moves his head upward a little— not really looking fully up but is abundantly enough for him to have a glance of Hiori (whilst continuously tying his shoelace still).
“It's barely cold.”—Rin
“Barely?” Hiori echoed
“Look at ya’ fingers!; they're pale!” Hiori shouted playfully
“I said I'm fine…” Rin said as he furtively looked at his hands and yeah…Hiori is right..; They're pale, his fingers.
“tsktsktsk..” Hiori sprouted
⪻────𖤓────⪼
“I'm fine” that's what Rin Itoshi always said…I mean that's Rin Itoshi so what more to expect?...and maybe yes— Hiori shouldn't really stick his nose up unto Rin’s ahh, but, as regards Hiori's gentle malice, it's hard not to notice that there was something about Rin’s knuckles that looked stiff that made him suspire.
Quietly, Hiori rummaged through his pockets looking for a packet, unopened and small— specifically a disposable pocket warmer.
Rin’s done now tying his shoelace, he then proceeds to pristinely stand up and begins to walk away— but before he even fully contrives a distance, Hiori pulls out the pocket warmer.
He brisk urgently and held Rin’s brachium then hands out the pocket warmer unto Rin’s hand unknowingly.
“What's this?” Rin stoically asked
“Warmth..’ey?, hehe” Hiori uttered
Rin gave out a flat glare.
“I don't need it.”
“Ya’ say that.., but ya’ shiverin’ just a lil..”
“I am NOT shivering.”
Hiori smiled faintly, stepping closer and still holding the pocket warmer unto Rin’s palm, within his middle finger and index whilst thumb brushing over Rin’s thenar.
Hiori then pretty much just presses the pocket warmer to Rin’s palm so he would just stop opposing.
“You always carry these?” Rin asked
“Mhmm” Hiori hummed
“I like bein’ prepared.”
“tch”—Rin
“Ya’ know…the air system’s been slow lately…figured you’d ignore it and freeze yer’ fingers off!” Hiori said quite scoldingly
“So will ya just take it and accept it like how a normal person would do…ya?” Hiori said as he pressed the pocket warmer quite harder onto Rin’s palm.
Rin looks at Hiori…like really looked. He was of course surprised with how Hiori has acted “shrewd.” He turned away again.., muttering:
“...Thanks.”
Hiori pretended not to hear and just softly smiles whilst humming quietly as he watched their breath fog side by side.
꧁ ༺ ─── ˚₊‧꒰ა 𖤓 ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ ─── ༻ ꧂
Next morning
Before training began, Hiori went to his locker and found a small, unopened, and new pocket warmer (the same brand as what he usually buys and the same thing that he gave out to Rin yesterday) sitting neatly on top of a cloth.
“..e-eh?”
Hiori's eyes intensify and widen up— tilting his head too. He stares at the pocket warmer for a good amount of time then just proceeds to abruptly take it and hold it together between his hands whilst both of his thumb pressed onto it.
He then walks serenely out of the locker room, head facing downward, his ears and cheeks faintly crimsoning (yes still holding the pocket warmer between his hands).
⪻────𖤓────⪼
As he made his way to the training pitch, Hiori tucked the warmer into his jackets pocket— the season hadn't turned completely yet, but somehow, it already felt a little warmer.
꧁ ༺ ─── ˚₊‧꒰ა 𖤓 ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ ─── ༻ ꧂