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Cinder rolled out of bed at what was easily over noon, having slept in for quite some time. But when he did, he noticed Joofy wasn't in bed with him. Made sense, he thought, seeing as Joofy typically preferred to arise early.
He made his way downstairs, assuming to get yet another lighthearted scolding at his lack of having a proper sleep schedule. But what could he say? Ever since his time in Villager Prison, his sleeping patterns were now nonexistent, thanks to all those damn zombies.
Cinder was halfway down the stairs when he noticed Joofy in the living room, looking outside. He also noticed that all the curtains had been shut and the heater was turned on to quite a high setting. Joofy was incredibly focused; as usual, but it would be in the next few moments that he'd figure out it was a little bit more than just that.
"Morning, sunshine." Cinder called out to him teasingly, knowing that Joofy always had a reaction whenever he gave him a nickname. However, Joofy didn't move. Finding that a bit odd, Cinder advanced forward some more.
"Joofy?" He addressed him again, a little more concerned this time. He only stopped when he was standing beside him, and was able to see what he was seeing.
Unexpectedly, it appeared to have snowstormed overnight, and snow was continuing to fall even now. Cinder looked at Joofy directly, and he noticed that he looked faintly, but evidently distressed. He seemed a little out of focus, as though the sighting in front of him was making him remember things that he didn't want to remember. It was unusual expression for him, which simultaneously confused and worried Cinder.
"Joofy?" Cinder asked again, but with a much softer tone of voice. He gently tapped his shoulder, and once the dark brunette realized Cinder's presence, he was briefly startled. He actively worked to change his expression, as though he'd never meant to let the first one show to begin with. "Is something wrong?"
"What? No, I'm- I'm fine." He stuttered for the shortest of moments, before steadying his voice, beginning to sound more like the Joofy that Cinder was used to. "I'm just a bit worried about the snowstorm."
"A bit?" Cinder couldn't help but question. His heart was urging him to find out what was wrong, and to see if he could do anything to make Joofy feel better, but at the same time, he didn't want to push Joofy when he didn't feel comfortable. He ended up settling for waiting for Joofy's answer for the time being.
"Of course. It's just a storm that'll pass quickly; no big deal." Joofy said dismissively. The two then moved to the couch, leaving the heater to buzz quite loudly.
"...you've been taking a lot of precautions." Cinder observed. "You usually aren't this worried about weather. Are you... sure you're okay? This is a bit unlike you."
As he sat with his thoughts more, Cinder was able to recall that this actually wasn't the first time Joofy had shown this type of behavior. Joofy always became uncharacteristically anxious whenever it snowed or became cold outside, but in the past, Cinder hadn't gotten the chance to inquire about it.
"I'm completely fine." Joofy claimed, though he avoided Cinder's gaze.
"Well, is there anything else I can do for you, then?" Cinder asked, still not entirely eased of his worry for him. He hoped he'd be able to do at least something to ease Joofy's obvious nervousness, even though Joofy wouldn't admit it out loud. Cinder's tone became more teasing towards the end. "Something to make up for my fashionable lateness?"
Joofy finally turned to him, seeming faintly amused. "You do always wake up late."
Joofy's gaze lingered, as though he did indeed want something from him, but was too embarrassed to ask for it out loud. Primarily because he thought it might cause Cinder to connect the dots and find out about Joofy's fear of the cold, and that was a secret he didn't really want anyone to know. He tended to keep both that the entire situation that caused that fear to begin with under wraps, seeing as he simply just wanted to leave it in the past.
But, then again, he knew Cinder wouldn't judge him. The two were very close; they lived together after all, and Joofy was quite comfortable around Cinder. Cinder could be quite silly, but he took Joofy's emotions and needs seriously, as well as most other things that needed a serious approach to them. Joofy turned to face him more directly.
"Could I... lay with you? I think I need a bit more warmth."
Cinder admittedly grew a little flustered at the request, and he agreeably turned around, making space for someone to lay beside him. Joofy found Cinder's expression perfectly inviting, and he managed to settle his nerves as he layed against Cinder's chest, with both of their arms finding their way around each other. Joofy let his head rest on Cinder's shoulder, and Cinder blushed at the feeling of being able to keep him close and safe like this.
Since Cinder was a fire hybrid, he naturally radiated body heat that was stronger than the average person's at all times, no matter the environment that he's in. He's able to control it, too, so he can make his body temperature either lower or higher at his expense. For Joofy, he decided to give him a light warmth that he knew the dark brunette would find comforting.
Joofy gave a few brief chills because of the change in temperature, but he accepted it greatly. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax on Cinder, and Cinder continued to hold him close and warm him up for as long as Joofy wanted.
"You're colder than I realized." Cinder mumbled, wondering how that could even be possible when the house was so graciously heated all throughout. But regardless of reason, Cinder was willing to help him change that, and turned up his heat up a little.
Joofy felt like explaining at first, but he eventually decided against it. Maybe he would tell Cinder what had happened someday, but right now, he wasn't willing to dwell on the past. All he cared about was right here, right now.