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It was freezing outside. A soft layer of snow covered the ground, coating the grass in a soft blanket of frost and flurries. It sparkled in the silvery moonlight, emitting a soft glow so breathtaking it almost looked unreal. Beautiful, truly, but a pain to be outside in. The young rookies of Japan’s national football team were lucky, though, toasty and warm inside their hotel. It was a brief reprieve, a small moment of respite for the holiday season before their grueling practice schedule started up again. The veteran players had all chipped in to surprise them with the trip—said that after months and months of socially acceptable hazing and making them carry all the gear and water and whatnot, this was the least they could do to thank the new players for their contributions on and off the field. Three days and two nights in Fukuoka, at the top-rated hot springs resort, all taken care of with their captain Aiku’s credit card.
When the boys had found out the destination of their mini getaway, Bachira had been practically bouncing off the walls with how excited he was, and quite literally bouncing in his seat on the train, a huge smile adorning his face as he gushed to Isagi about everything he wanted to do with the short time they had. Upon their arrival, they’d all hurried toward the check-in desk and grabbed their room keys as fast as they could, with their suitcases trailing behind them. They’d decided on their rooms how the rookies had been making their important decisions all season—with a game of rock, paper, scissors. The chaotic game in the hallway ended with Chigiri landing Bachira, still buzzing with energy, as his roommate.
Chigiri was now gazing out his window, staring fondly at the snow, with Bachira at his side, bouncing on the balls of his feet. The night sky was illuminated by the moon and what must have been hundreds of stars, shining brightly against the murky midnight hues of the sky. The sun had set an hour ago, all traces of its golden rays erased from the world. Their surroundings were bathed in silver, navy, and the chill of the winter air. Winter was Chigiri’s favorite season, he could never get enough of the icy weather that left him with red cheeks and his breath escaping out into the world in clouds of white. Although Bachira didn’t share his opinion, he couldn’t deny how picturesque the view from their room was, and it’s not as if he wanted to leave his teammate admiring the sight alone.
From the window of their hotel room, they could see the silver light reflecting off the water of the onsen springs. It sparkled, the stars seeming to materialize on the calm surface. Chigiri let himself get lost in the scenery. The trees were particularly striking, their branches bare of all leaves and instead covered by droplets of crystal snow. The sky was a deep blue and merged and blended into an inky black at its deepest hue. And in its lightest points, it shone a cobalt blue in small streaks across the sky, like clouds made of pure color. The stars twinkled, diamonds hung up by heaven’s angels.
“Isagi texted a little while ago,” Bachira informed Chigiri, breaking the silence. “Everyone’s going down to the onsen in a few. So if you wanna go, we gotta leave now. We’ll probably have enough time to wash up and meet up with them. Do you wanna go? Do ya?” He turned toward Chigiri with a big smile.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” A smile of Chigiri’s own broke out on his face. “Now that it’s colder out, my muscles have been so sore. Especially my leg, y’know?”
“Still doing your leg care every day, right? Can’t win the World Cup without you and your speed.”
“Every single day.” Chigiri confirmed with a nod. The praise from Bachira warmed his heart, curling around it like tender flames from a fireplace. “Now get your coat before we leave, I don’t want you catching a cold. Can’t win the World Cup without your dribbling.”
“Of course you can’t!” Bachira laughed, free as ever. “Now, you didn’t hear this from me, but I’ve heard rumours of an impromptu snowball fight happening, so I’d suggest a coat for you, too.” Bachira’s eyes glinted with a deviant sparkle. “But don’t expect any alliances.”
“Wasn’t planning on it, Bachira.” Chigiri responded with just as much mischief in his voice. “Just ‘cause you’re my roommate for the next few days doesn’t mean I gotta have your back in this. I’ll do it anyway—but I don’t have to.” He walked over to the hotel room’s closet, grabbing his and Bachira’s coats. He wrapped his around his shoulders and tossed Bachira’s coat to him, who caught the article of clothing with grace and quickly put it on. “Do you have your room key?” Chigiri asked when Bachira started toward the door. The shorter man stopped in his tracks and fished around in his pockets for a moment.
“Nope!” His smile didn’t falter. “I think I left it…um…somewhere. But you have yours! Now come on,” Bachira groaned, dragging out the final syllable. “I don’t wanna be late.”
The rookies were talking about nothing in particular on their way down to the main lobby, discussing who was going to get to shower first tomorrow morning, and whose alarm they were going to use to wake up. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, everyone was already there waiting for them. Chigiri beamed when he saw Kunigami, almost tripping over his feet in a rare display of clumsiness as he ran toward his boyfriend and wrapped him in a tight hug. His head rested perfectly in the crook of Kunigami’s neck, and he sighed happily as the taller man whispered, “Hey, baby…” into his hair. The quiet noise Chigiri had made was drowned out by a chorus of approval from their teammates.
If they weren’t in public, Chigiri would have been more affectionate. The hug, although close and prolonged, could just be perceived as an action between close friends, so that was alright for public view. In a private moment between just the two of them, Chigiri would lace his own fingers with Kunigami’s and pull the taller man down for a kiss. But they didn’t have that luxury, at least not right now.
All the athletes started toward the side doors of the lobby, the ones that led to the bathhouse and onsen spring. They had been outside in the biting cold for only a few seconds when a yelp sounded from Gagamaru. He whipped his head around, wide-eyed, to see Raichi snickering with stray bits of snow still coating his open palm. Gagamaru was stonefaced as he nodded, bending down to gather some snow in his hands. He didn’t even shiver as his hands plunged into the icy snow. He stood up quickly, tossing the newly formed snowball back at Raichi, smiling proudly when the snow collided with the defender’s chest, the powdery residue visible against his vest.
Chigiri locked eyes with Bachira, silently agreeing upon the terms of an alliance with nothing more than their gazes. Both young men formed as many snowballs as they could, scampering to stand with their backs against each other’s. Raichi had turned his attention to Kuon and was launching a barrage of snow at him. His attacks were messy, unrefined. He didn’t really throw snowballs as much as snow clumps, just tossing anything he could pick up around him. Kuon seemed taken aback at first, but was finally starting to catch himself up to speed. He ducked, dodging the next handful of snow that came sailing toward his face. Kunigami seemed lost for a moment before he ended up allying with Isagi against Naruhaya. It was a hilarious sight, seeing the runt of the rookies scamper around in the show, trying and failing to escape the tag-team assault. All of this had left Gagamaru without a partner or adversary, and it was like a gift from above to Chigiri when he and Bachira decided to turn their attention to the tall man.
“You wouldn’t dare!” Gagamaru shouted when he caught Chigiri’s stare. “I didn’t even do anything to you!”
Chigiri only laughed, throwing the snowball as hard as he could in Gagamaru’s direction, Bachira following a moment afterwards. The pair had underestimated the keeper’s skill, though, and watched in slight amazement as he dodged both attacks with ease. How could they forget? Gagamaru had insane flexibility and reaction time, no wonder his defense in a snowball fight would be just as stellar as it was on the pitch. The snowball Bachira had thrown crashed harmlessly against the ground, but Chigiri’s had continued to soar through the air, and eventually ended its flight as it collided with Kunigami’s jaw. The snowball burst apart on impact, coating the man’s cheek, lips, and nose in a fine powder.
“Agh! That was cold!” Kunigami cried out through peals of laughter. “Who the—” He stopped talking after he made eye contact with Chigiri, the winger trying to stifle a loud cackle from escaping his lips. “Hyoma, you are so paying for that later.” Even from a few meters away, in the dark of night, Chigiri could see Kunigami’s eyes darken in a way that was only ever directed towards him. Even with his pupils dilated, his irises still seemed to sparkle with the amber that was left visible. Beautiful…
Bachira had nudged Chigiri lightly in the arm, throwing him a smirk after seeing how he must have subconsciously responded to the look Kunigami had given him. Bachira had opened his mouth to say something, but Isagi had thrown a snowball that hit him in the back of the head. Instead of a most likely sarcastic and teasing comment directed towards Chigiri, the only thing that escaped Bachira’s mouth was a high-pitched shout.
“Okay, okay…” Kuon tried to get everyone’s attention. The ends of his hair were damp; there were clumps of snow along his shoulders and the back of his neck, rapidly melting into freezing water. “Now that we’re all way more freezing than we were when we stepped out here, more than we needed to be, how about going to wash off so we can warm up in the hot spring?”
“I second that!” Naruhaya said. He was breathless, his nose, cheeks, and the tips of his ears all rosy from the chill of the breeze. “I could totally go for heat right now.”
After a few other rookies chimed in with their agreement, the eight of them began to walk towards the wash house, but only after Kuon had hit Raichi in the neck with a handful of snow as ‘punishment for starting the mini fight.’ All the boys sighed as they turned the little showers on; the water temperature and pressure was perfect. At the very least, it was miles above the locker room standard they were used to. Their clothes were practically bursting out of the small cubbies allotted for their belongings, all large and heavy coats or oversized sweatshirts. They each took turns washing the snow off themselves, trying to stay in the water as long as possible. They cooled down quickly the moment their skin was no longer protected by the spray, causing goosebumps to trail along their bodies.
The steam from the hot spring rose in curling tendrils, enticing them inside as soon as they’d finished their showers. It created a mist that was about the same level as the rookies’ heads when they were fully situated in the water. They were all dispersed mostly evenly along the sides of the spring, most with their eyes closed, heads leaned back against the spring’s edge. The environment was hazy and peaceful. For the first time in a long while, the eight boys got the chance to be in a quiet environment, somewhere uninterrupted. Chigiri exhaled heavily and sank down lower in the water, the small ripples brushing against his chin and neck. He’d thrown his hair up in a bun to keep it out of the spring as much as possible, but the steam had started to dampen Chigiri’s hair, causing some loose strands to fall over his forehead. The heat of the water felt like it was soaking directly against Chigiri’s bones, drawing him into a moment of silent solitude. Anything stressful, be it practicing plays or thinking about his physical therapy, disappeared. It was as if Chigiri could feel his limbs simultaneously get heavier and lighter at the same time, all tension fading away from him.
He opened his eyes slowly, gazing fondly at all of his best friends. The lazy content smiles on their faces caused an intense burst of happiness to blossom in Chigiri’s chest. They deserved this break, this rest, even if it was only for a few days. They all worked so hard to ensure the success of their team. They all had their roles, of course, and some of them were certainly a more prolific member of the team than the other rookies, but Chigiri truly was impressed by their little band of rising stars. Gagamaru was on track to be a starting keeper, Bachira’s dribbling was truly next level, and Isagi’s read of the field was something Chigiri still couldn’t wrap his head around. Raichi’s man-marking was second to none, and his stamina was something fearsome, something Chigiri himself was jealous of. And of course, Kunigami. An ambidextrous threat on offense or defense, their team’s hero that always showed up when and where they needed him most.
Letting his eyes rest on Kunigami, Chigiri felt a grin break out across his face. Their hero was staring up at the sky, seemingly in his own world. The moonlight that reflected off his hair appeared to cover the orange strands in a layer of frost, and Chigiri swore he could see the stars in Kunigami’s open eyes. To finally get to see his boyfriend sit back and relax, it was something that warmed Chigiri’s heart more than the hot springs ever could. Maybe Kunigami had recognized Chigiri’s staring, because he glanced down, making eye contact with him. The smile he’d given Chigiri reminded him of the sunrise. Kunigami inclined his head back, motioning for Chigiri to come toward him.
Slowly, he made his way towards Kunigami, his movements sluggish from the heat of the water. Once he was next to his partner, he didn’t wait before settling back into his position he had been in on the other side of the onsen. His eyes were closing, but he was able to catch the look, full of adoration, Kunigami was giving him. Chigiri smiled, now opting to rest his head against one of Kunigami’s broad shoulders as opposed to the edge of the hot spring. Although Chigiri’s eyes were now closed, he could still feel Kunigami press a light kiss against his head.
Away from the eyes of the public, they could be like this. Chigirii’s hand swished around in the water for a moment, searching for Kunigami’s hand. When he found it, he laced their fingers together and gave his hand a tight squeeze. The simple gesture contained so many unspoken words. I love you. I’m proud of you. I’m here for you.
Kunigami returned the display of affection, his own unspoken promises being made. I love you. You’re everything I could ever need and want.
Chigiri lifted their connected hands to his mouth at a slow pace, his lips brushing against the back of Kunigami’s hand. “I love you.” His voice was low in both volume and pitch, not wanting to ruin this moment for himself by being anything but quiet. Besides, Kunigami was right next to him, so he’d pick up even the softest of whispers. He tilted his head to look up at Kunigami, and he realized it wasn’t just stars he could see in his boyfriend’s eyes, no, he could see the entire galaxy. The universe, his universe, was right in front of him.
“I love you, too.” As Kunigami looked down at Chigiri, a wave of emotion flooded over him. Love. Adoration. Pride. The shorter man had always been an inspiration to him. To be so resilient in the face of a recent injury and still have such a dominating presence on the pitch, to not let fear rule his game… Chigiri was incredible. Kunigami could recall the memory of the first day the two met as if it had happened the day before, when he’d realized with a start that he was going to fall in love with the pink-haired man. From his features—soft hair, a piercing stare, his blinding smile—to his personality—a quick-witted and sarcastic exterior that enveloped one of the most tender hearts Kunigami had ever known—Kunigami had been more than certain that his teammate would own his heart.
Kunigami lifted his free hand from the water and brushed damp strands of Chigiri’s hair off his forehead, trying to see his eyes with a more clear view. With the way Kunigami’s heart was beating, he felt like he was back standing on the sidelines of the pitch on their last day of tryouts, telling Chigiri for the first time that he loved him, that he wanted to take him out on dates, that he wanted to be his boyfriend. And clearly, that had ended well for the both of them. The young men were content with getting lost in each other’s eyes, revisiting memories and any other sliver of happiness that entered their minds.
“Guys. Guys! Hello?” Kunigami and Chigiri both snapped out of their thoughts and turned to face the voice that had been calling for them—apparently for a bit of time. “Hey, uh, it’s gotten a bit late, so the rest of us are going to head back in so we can sleep, and we wanted to know if you guys were up for coming along with us. I know we’re on vacation but it’s important to keep our sleep schedules undisturbed.”
Chigiri and Kunigami gave each other a quick glance, speaking through their expressions alone. “Yeah,” Kunigami nodded. “We’ll be there, Kuon, don’t worry.”
Chigiri looked over at Bachira, who was trying to prod Isagi awake—he’d fallen asleep against Bachira’s shoulder—and snickered quietly. “Besides, I’m the only one that can let Bachira back into our room.” At the mention of his name, Bachira’s gaze rose to Chigiri. He giggled and stuck his tongue out before continuing to poke Isagi until he blinked himself awake.
The movements of the team started slow, not wanting to leave the warmth and comfort that the hot spring brought them. They reluctantly waded through the water to the exit, stalling as long as they could so they could keep the water’s heat around them. But after they psyched themselves up enough to step into the cold, their pace increased rapidly. A few muffled curses escaped some team members’ lips as they raced back toward the washroom, desperate for their sweatshirts, and in turn, relief from the brisk weather.
Chigiri had swapped thoroughly drying off for getting his warm clothes back on as quickly as possible, but regretted his decision almost instantly. His sweatshirt and jeans were sticking to the parts of his skin that were still damp. More than a bit uncomfortable, he groaned to nobody in particular. Naruhaya heard and threw a spare towel at his teammate. “Here, Chigiri,” His voice was both fond and teasing. “You look like you jumped into a pool with your clothes on, at least dry your hair.”
“Thanks, Naruhaya,” Chigiri smiled gratefully, bringing the towel up to his head to try and wring out the wet strands of his hair. His bun hadn’t held up the best in the humidity. “I’ll just change into pajamas when I get back to my room.” Chigiri, after he dried his hair as best he could, pulled on his jacket and decided to walk back with Raichi. Both had been the first ones ready, and both were freezing, desperate to return to the heat of the hotel rooms. They bounded across the snowy path, both almost tripping on a patch of ice, and yanked the lobby door open as if they were trying to escape the apocalypse. Chigiri was by far the faster of the two, but Raichi was keeping up with him by what seemed to be pure determination to get out of the elements. Sure, Chigiri loved the cold, but he now realized that only held true when he wasn’t fresh out of a body of water and enveloped in damp clothes.
Now thankfully inside the hotel, Raichi turned to face Chigiri. “Alright, I’m exhausted, which is saying a whole damn lot. I’m probably heading up, and you should, too.” Before walking away to the staircase, he shouted in a moment of realization. Another patron in the lobby winced at the sudden noise. “I almost forgot! There’s these really good cups of tea the cafe has, and I was thinking I could get Kuon to buy one for all of us. Just a little ‘thank you’ for everyone, you know? I’m not usually one for that cheesy shit but it’s the holidays, y’know? And, hell, I mean we deserve to celebrate, we’ve been having a great rookie season on the goddamn national team!” Raichi either didn’t know he was shouting, or didn’t care. “Would you help me carry them tomorrow?”
“Of course.” Chigiri grinned at his teammate. “You say you’re not a sentimental guy but this is like the third time you’ve tried to do something like this for the rookies. At least let me pay for half now that you told me about the idea?
“Fuck no.” The refusal was light-hearted but firm. “No way in hell am I letting you pay. That’s Kuon’s job. I’ll tell him tomorrow.” To fully finalize his statement, Raichi wrapped Chigiri up in a tight hug, clapping him on the back with far too much strength for someone claiming to be exhausted. “But thanks for offering! Have a great night!”
“Same to you, Raichi!” Chigiri called after Raichi, even as he already started to scurry toward the stairs. Before following suit, he peered out through the glass door toward the washroom. Nobody had made their way back, although Chigiri could make out Gagamaru and Naruhaya standing by the door. Did it really take them that long to dry off and get dressed again? Chigiri softly laughed to himself. His teammates were all certainly…an experience to be around, but Chigiri wouldn’t trade it—all of it, the laughter and the fighting, the brotherhood and the insanity—for anything. He had been debating whether to wait for the other six boys to walk back, but after another minute passed and there was no movement, he decided on walking back to his room. He’d see Bachira later, and the rest of them tomorrow.
As he made his way toward the staircase, he pulled his phone out of his coat pocket. Thankfully, it was dry. Quickly entering his password—his and Kunigami’s anniversary—he pulled up his text messages, pressing his boyfriend’s contact. The message he sent was short and sweet: have a great night, hero. love you always. Once he had made his way up the three flights of stairs and entered his room, he pulled his suitcase out from under the bed. His hair had dried a fair amount from his few seconds outside in the wintry air and had even tangled a bit at the ends, but his clothes were still far from dry. Chigiri unzipped the suitcase, pulling out an old tee-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Stripping out of his damp clothes, Chigiri opted to prioritize detangling and moisturizing his hair. It was warm enough in the hotel room that he could stand to laze around unclothed for the ten minutes it took to take care of his hair without worry. With his rosy hair back to shining as it usually did, Chigiri was finally ready to continue on with getting ready for bed. He was almost finished with getting changed when he heard a knock on the door. Right, Bachira had misplaced his room key.
“I’ll be right there!” Chigiri called out, pulling the soft shirt down over his head and arms. He made his way to the door, and opened it with a smile. “Hey, Bachi— Oh.” Chigiri was expecting to see his vacation roommate with his bright grin and smaller stature, but he was greeted with the sight of Kunigami instead, complete with a raised eyebrow.
“Really, Chigiri? ‘Oh’?” He teased playfully. “That’s how you say hello?”
“I was expecting a half asleep and locked out Bachira, not my boyfriend.” Chigiri was quick to defend himself. “And who’s to say you wouldn’t’ve had the same reaction if I walked into your room instead of Raichi?”
“Touché, Chigiri.” The blonde nodded, seemingly accepting Chigiri’s logic. He glanced down to Chigiri’s eyes, and then to his lips. “Regardless, can I come in?”
Chigiri had registered that the same dark spark that was in Kunigami’s eyes after he’d gotten hit with the snowball had returned. Just looking up at Kunigami, seeing the gleam in his eyes sparkle for him and him alone, Chigiri felt his heartbeat quicken, his blood growing warmer. His throat, his lips, everything suddenly felt dry, as if it was having a latent reaction to the winter chill. He licked his lips and grabbed Kunigami by the front of his hoodie, pulling him inside the hotel room and slamming the door shut behind him. The air was hot and thick between the two of them, Chigiri’s hands gripping Kunigami’s sweatshirt, and Kunigami’s hands just centimeters away from Chigiri’s hips. “How—” Chigiri’s question got caught in his throat. Kunigami staring down at him, his amber eyes glinting with mischief, was enough of a distraction to render Chigiri’s words unspoken. He cleared his throat and tried again. “What happens if Bachira comes back? I gotta let him in when he does.”
“He won’t. I saw him walk into Isagi’s room, he won’t be back here tonight.”
“That’s—” Chigiri sighs. He doesn’t have the desire to think about how useless the team’s rock, paper, scissors game was if they were all just going to slink back to whichever rooms they wanted once the moon had risen high enough. Those words of confirmation were really all Chigiri needed. He pulled Kunigami down toward him, crashing their lips together in a searing kiss. Chigiri’s hands tightened on the fabric of Kunigami’s sweatshirt, trying to keep his boyfriend against him. With their chests pressed together, Chigiri believed quite well that Kunigami was able to feel his heart pounding, even through the layers of clothing. After what felt like hours, Chigiri reluctantly pulled away for air. He looked up at Chigiri with an expression that was almost quizzical. The taller man hadn’t laid a hand on Chigiri since he arrived in the doorway. “Why aren’t you…” Chigiri trailed off, his brow creased in confusion.
Kunigami gave him the look he always did when he was about to run a hand through the soft tresses of Chigiri’s hair alongside a whispered declaration of love. “I told you I was getting you back for the snowball, right?”
A spike of heat spread throughout Chigiri’s body, reaching all his extremities. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He sounded impatient, because, well, he was. Kunigami didn’t answer, he just continued to stare at Chigiri with that look of adoration. Chigiri poked him in the stomach, finger pressing insistently against the hard muscle of his abs. “Hello?”
Kunigami broke away from Chigiri’s grip and walked past him, farther into the room until he sat down on the foot of his bed. He knew it belonged to Chigiri from the presence of a comb and some headbands strewn about. “Come here?” He was leaning back a bit on one hand, using the other to try and tame his bangs. Kunigami had been letting his hair grow out these past few months as it started to get colder. The undercut that Chigiri had met him with was already overgrown, and his bangs hung thick and heavy in his eyes. Kunigami, as if he could tell what Chigiri was thinking about, attempted to brush his hair off his forehead. Chigiri couldn’t help but let the grin show on his face as he walked over towards Kunigami, situating himself in the other man’s lap. He locked his legs around his waist, cheeks tinged with a faint rosy hue. It complemented his hair nicely.
“Hey,” he said softly, looking down at Kunigami.
“Hi, love.” Kunigami’s soft words and tone contrasted the hunger in his eyes. He tilted his head up for a moment, anticipation bubbling in Chigiri’s chest as the gap between them closed. Much to Chigiri’s chagrin, though, Kunigami regressed to his previous position the moment after. “Remember, Hyoma, if you don’t like anything, tell me.”
“Obviously, Rensuke.” A fresh wave of love rolled over Chigiri, crashing against the shore of his body. It was pure appreciation for how caring Kunigami was to him, how tenderly he always prioritized his comfort.
“Okay, good.” Kunigami leaned up again, but instead of connecting his lips with Chigiri’s, he pressed soft kisses against his neck, covering the slender column of his throat with feather-light touches. Chigiri’s legs tightened around Kunigami’s waist, trying to draw him in even closer. If it weren’t the holiday season, if the pair didn’t have such highly publicized careers, Chigiri would let Kunigami take complete control of his neck, marking the pale skin in red and violet love bites. Both men knew better than to even risk it, though, so Kunigami pulled away from Chigiri’s neck after placing a final kiss against his collarbone. He peered up at Chigiri, gazing at his partner through his long, dark eyelashes.
“Kiss me.” Chigiri couldn’t tell if his tone caused the two words to come out as a command or a plea, but Kunigami complied regardless. His lips captured Chigiri’s, eyes fluttering shut. They fit together perfectly, like pieces of a puzzle. Kunigami convinced himself to open his eyes, and he grinned into the kiss when he saw that Chigiri had his eyes closed. It was the normal option—between that and having his eyes wide open, obviously they’d be shut, but Kunigami was still grateful for it. It allowed him to set his plan in motion. Lightly, he placed his hands against Chigiri’s lower back, and he could have sworn he heard the man mumble “Finally.” into the kiss. He raised his hands the slightest bit, fingertips brushing the hem of Chigiri’s light shirt. He could feel Chigiri leaning into the light touches, and used this as a perfect segue into what he wanted to give his boyfriend—payback.
He snaked his hands under the material of Chigiri’s shirt, lightly dragging his fingers across the small bit of exposed skin. He traced circles against Chigiri’s back, and he wrote sweet nothings in a delicate script against his skin. Upon the first contact Kunigami’s hands made with Chigiri’s skin, the shorter man had an immediate reaction. Between the sounds of soft kisses and heavy breaths, a small gasp surfaced, and Chigiri pulled back for a moment, glancing down at his boyfriend with a look of bewilderment and playful hurt. “Your hands are so cold, Rensuke, what the—” He cut his own sentence off with another small noise, Kunigami’s hands traveling farther up Chigiri’s back only to rest near his shoulderblades, freezing fingers leaching the heat from his body.
“I’m getting you back. Just like I said, love.” Kunigami’s gentle smile was laced with danger. Slowly, he let his hands work their way back down Chigiri’s spine, fingernails lightly scratching the skin.
Chigiri rolled his eyes and tried to not focus on how Kunigami’s hands—icy cold, so unlike him, now resting against the waistband of his sweatpants—were so obviously affecting him, and he leaned back down, once again connecting his lips with Kunigami’s. His hands may have been freezing, but his mouth was providing all the heat Chigiri needed. Chigiri tried to take control of the kiss—after all, it was him who was sitting in Kunigami’s lap, him who had locked the other man in place with his legs—and thought he was actually getting somewhere, his hands now draped around Kunigami’s neck, pulling him impossibly close.
In spite of Chigiri’s best efforts, Kunigami had more than a few tricks up his sleeve. He trailed his hands, still under Chigiri’s shirt, around from his back to his stomach, following the line of his waistband. Kunigami could feel the toned muscles of Chigiri’s stomach jump under his fingers, stimulated by the temperature change. Chigiri broke their kiss with a gasp and small whine, his hips stuttering against Kunigami’s. “Stop…” He drew out the word, although it had no real weight to it, a pout forming on his red lips. “You’re freezing.”
“Do you really want me to stop?” Kunigami had stilled his movements and pulled his hands away, gazing expectantly at Chigiri, who could feel his own face flush, and was thankful for the dim light of the hotel room. Knowing Kunigami, the man was most likely able to see the red hue that tinted Chigiri’s cheeks.
Chigiri didn’t answer verbally at first, opting instead to take Kunigami’s hands in his own, stretching to press the man’s palms flat against his back, the skin on skin contact making him shiver. “Don’t stop. Please.” Before Kunigami could respond, Chigiri continued talking. “Yes, hero, I’m sure. You’re just really fucking cold.”
“Not as cold as the snowball,” Kunigami mused, his tone teasing. “Definitely not as cold.”
“You’re insufferable.” Chigiri stated. From his position, Chigiri had the upper hand in moving both of them around if he wanted to. And he most definitely wanted to. He twisted around so his back hit the mattress, head bouncing against the pillow with his long hair spreading out across the white pillowcase. It was definitely a good choice to condition it beforehand. With his legs still hooked around Kunigami’s waist, he pulled his boyfriend down on top of him. Kunigami grinned at Chigiri’s willingness to take charge and bent down to kiss him. It was light at first, gentle, but after he felt the other man’s tongue swipe across his bottom lip, he pressed harder. Before allowing Chigiri access to his mouth, Kunigami bit his lower lip, reveling in the small groan he got from his partner. But then, Kunigami parted his lips, allowing Chigiri to re-explore all the places he had long since memorized.
“If a snowball fight gets me this,” Chigiri whispered, pausing to fully take in the sensation of Kunigami’s hands directly against his back. “I’m stocking up on snowballs for years to come.” Winter was Chigiri’s favorite season for many reasons—now he could add another one to the list.