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It was so warm. Warmer than anything Kaiser deserved, for sure. It was almost blistering, the warmth encompassing him. Held steadfast in Ness’s arms, head smooshed against the warmest chest in the world—and not just because Ness’s body always ran hotter than normal—blankets trapping their combined body heat wrapped tight around their bodies.
He felt Ness stir, the slight shift that signaled he had awoken with the sun as always and was going to get up for the day. Ness unwrapped his arms from around Kaiser, and began sitting up, when Kaiser struck. His arms darted out, wrapping tight around Ness’s waist and dragging him back down against the bed, against Kaiser.
Ness let out a small squeak of surprise, and Kaiser’s lips quirked up into a sleepy smirk. Ness didn’t fight Kaiser’s grip though, just hesitated for a moment, debating, before he sighed, relaxing back into bed and wrapping Kaiser up into his arms again.
“Kaiser… I need to go to the store today,” Ness murmured, fingers combing through Kaiser’s hair, taming his atrocious bedhead. Always caring for Kaiser, bending for Kaiser, even when he shouldn’t.
“It’s snowing. You can go tomorrow,” Kaiser mumbled, words muffled against Ness’s soft pajama shirt. His arms tightened even further, holding Ness firmly against him, as if he was expecting Ness to try to escape his grasp.
But Ness just settled in further, fingers continuing to card through Kaiser’s hair gently.
The most indulgent puppy in the world… Kaiser knew he didn’t deserve him, knew better than anyone else, and yet… Kaiser was a selfish man, when it came to Ness at least. He tried to kick the puppy, get him to leave Kaiser, and yet Ness stubbornly held on. Kaiser would be a fool to not hoard Ness away after all of that.
Ness tugged the blankets up higher around Kaiser’s shoulders, and Kaiser felt like he was burning, melting away under the warmth that was Alexis Ness. A small part of Kaiser wanted to get up and rush out into the snow, clad in just his sleep pants and nothing else, to freeze the warmth away. The ice would cut into his skin, freeze him from the outside in, exactly the way he was used to.
The cold was all Kaiser deserved, even if truthfully, Kaiser hated the cold. It brought him back to his childhood, where all he had to keep warm with was his single threadbare blanket, thin hoodie, worn pants, and socks filled with holes. The cold was all he knew, after all.
But then Alexis Ness walked into his life, with his warm heart and fiery soul, directing every ounce of that warmth towards Michael Kaiser. Even if Kaiser tried to avoid Ness’s warmth, his love, his affection, all of which burned hotter than the sun, Ness never allowed it. He told Kaiser he’d provide him with all the warmth in the world, because that’s what Kaiser deserved.
Kaiser would trudge through the snow in just his team tracksuit, letting the cold air bite at his skin, seep into his being and freeze his very bones, but then Ness would find him and fuss over him, wrapping Kaiser tight in his scarf, forcing his already body-warmed winter coat onto Kaiser’s shoulders. He’d drag him into a nearby cafe and order him a hot drink, force him to warm up and thaw.
Sometimes, it felt like Ness… Genuinely loved Kaiser. Kaiser would shake the thought from his head immediately; of course Ness didn’t really love him—he was just an overly caring person, and his chosen target was Kaiser. Kaiser wasn’t someone others could love, not even by Ness.
“Kaiser…” Ness murmured softly as he tugged slightly on a tangle, fingers stilling. Kaiser could hear it in Ness’s voice; he was going to suggest getting up for the day, and Kaiser couldn’t have that. So, he smooshed his face further against Ness’s chest, and murmured a simple: “You’re warm.”
Ness chuckled, running a hand up and down Kaiser’s bare arm, trying to warm his skin. “And your skin is absolutely icy… See, this is why you need to start wearing more layers when you go out into the cold! With how cold you run already, you’re just gonna—” Kaiser cut him off with a kiss, his lips firmly pressed against Ness’s. He could feel the heat from Ness’s blush, and grinned into the kiss before pulling back, nuzzling against Ness’s chest once more.
“I don’t need a tirade, Ness. Just… Be a good puppy and warm me up,” Kaiser mumbled sleepily, sighing contently as Ness’s fingers resumed their movement in his hair. Kaiser felt more than heard the mumbled ‘always’ against his scalp, and nuzzled further against Ness.
Such an obedient dog… Kaiser knew on snowy days like this, Ness preferred going out all wrapped up in his winter clothes, liked making snow sculptures—not snowmen, no, Ness was too skilled to call his creations something as pedestrian as snowmen—and would drop back into the snow, feel the ice crystals kiss his cheeks as he made snow angels—and what angels they were, when they were created with Alexis Ness’s form. And yet, for Kaiser, Ness was willing to stay inside, curled up in bed napping the day away, because Ness always put Kaiser first, as strange a concept that was.
Ah, Kaiser should reward him. Should be the one to wrap Alexis’s favorite scarf around his shoulders, to put his favorite gloves on him, then lead him out into the snow to have some fun. Alexis would like that, wouldn’t he? He’d probably make a reference to one of the many romance movies he’s seen a million times, and Kaiser would roll his eyes indulgently as he admired the beauty that was Alexis Ness with flushed cheeks and snow melting on his skin, pure affection and joy in his eyes.
Yeah, that sounds nice. After they slept a bit more, he’d spoil his good puppy, offer him the few scraps of his affection he could manage.