(no subject)
Who: MARUI AND TEZUKA.
What: Playing in the snow! :D
Where: OUTSIDE
When: First night. (Dec 4)
Rating: PG
Comments: Tezuka and I are really lame in this. .__. and Sanada, Shotapie and Kin-chan need to be aware Tezuka has totally abandoned his roommates to sleep with Marui. :| This is a present tense!log.
It's the first night. The sky is overwhelming. The stars are dancing over his head. Somewhere in the midst of the cold and the loud noises that drift outdoors from his room, sleep crawls closer. It's breathed in on Marui's next exhale, sneaks into his clothes like the wind outdoors. The snow is goddamn gorgeous, stretching out as far as he can see and Marui thinks that it's a shame he can't just lay in it forever.
Not now though.
Maybe later.
Right now, there are more important things. His hands are buried in his coat pockets, going numb. It's strangely relaxing to be standing around and freezing. Marui's eyes scour the landscape for a final time. There's nothing in sight. No one he wants to see.
Feet turn. Shivering, he's making his way to Tezuka's dorm with the hope that the other boy will be on his way to find him too. He doesn't want to be the only one enjoying this. His tongue is pressed to the roof of his mouth, anxiously, all candy left behind in his room because Marui doesn't want to risk running low on a trip. He's already had too much.
The memory makes him grimace as he turns to where Tezuka is staying. There's a knot in his stomach that says he's being extremely needy, overwhelming, but it's one of those things that are easy to ignore when he feels like it.
Tezuka's glad for his mitts and heavy jacket when he crunches through the snow, even though the chill bites through his layers and his pant legs. It was probably not very smart to wander outside in his sneakers rather than his boots but he would deal with the wet bottoms and sides and shoe laces another time. His nose is itching from being so cold and when he breathes out he can see a cloud float away.
He rounds a corner, stepping onto the main walkway and shivering, clapping his feet against the sidewalk habitually. The sky is clear and welcoming even with the cold, making Tezuka think about Marui's little rant about the stars, only a few days before. He almost smiles at the thought and tilts his head back to look straight ahead, following the lights along the side of the small dorm building.
There is no one else Tezuka can think of with hair as bright red as that, vibrant against the nighttime, snowy landscape and reminding him that he's sharing a room with one person he does not care for, one he respects enough and another who was once his teammate - and none of whom smell anything like artificial apple flavouring or that he is interested in kissing.
"It's cold," He points out by way of greeting, ignoring that it's the obvious and the pink on Marui's cheeks from the chill pressing around them. He wants to hold the other's hand, but both of them have their hands in their pockets and it's fine standing next to him. "But it's nice." It is pretty here, and he is honestly excited to go skiing the next day.
Even the simple greeting makes Marui shiver.
The words, 'do you want to take a tumble in the snow,' scroll through his brain and it takes half a second to pay attention to the Tezuka that is there instead of the one in his vision rolling over the snow. He exhales visibly, loudly. "It is nice," Marui agrees and steps closer.
There's nothing to do but stand there. Marui pulls his hand free of his jacket, touching Tezuka's arm. "Where should we go?"
It's being here that makes this trip worthwhile, he decides. In that whole cheesesque melted-heart-at-the-feet type of way. Marui peers at the snow at their feet. He kicks some over Tezuka's shoes. "Tomorrow morning," he keeps saying, not giving Tezuka a chance to reply just yet, "We should build a snowman together. Somewhere out of the way while everyone goes off to ski." Marui knows he needs to give Tezuka time to have fun too but it's not as easy doing as it is saying. He bites his lip and waits for the other boy to agree.
"We can, right?"
Tezuka frowns at the snow on his shoes, momentarily worried that his socks might wind up wet later alongside his sneakers and the hem of his pants. He hasn't built a snowman since he was very small and it was alright to play in the snow with his parents and friends. They could go skiing in the afternoon, he tells himself as he flicks the snow away again. "Yes," He says, turning his head to look at Marui. He pulls a gloved hand out of his pocket and takes he red-head's hand while he can, letting them hang between them and reluctant to let go. "Of course we can." Tezuka feels stupid agreeing so easily, but they have ten days for skiing and snowmen and whatever else strike Marui's fancy.
He is curious about what is around them, other than snow and schoolmates he doesn't really want to deal with right then. Squeezing Marui's hand gently, Tezuka turns and continues walking the other had come. He tugs him along gently, curiosity and some strange, familiar euphoria from being out and about affecting his judgment. Things can't be much different this way than what he'd already seen, but everything looks like it's different at night and he is reluctant to go back inside.
Following always wins. Marui doesn't bother to pull free. His hand is warm and sweaty in Tezuka's, his fingers curling around the other's. "Good, I think I want to grab one of the kids and roll them up as a snowball, what do you think?" he says, mostly teasing, because he knows that Tezuka would never agree.
There are alot of things Tezuka wouldn't agree to, and Marui understands this, but it doesn't mean he's going to give up on them yet. Trotting up a few steps, he jumps on Tezuka's back, his hand twisting free so he can wrap his arms around the other boy's shoulders. He presses his cheek against Tezuka's, chuckling, "Maybe I'll roll you up as a snowman," he says, knees bumping against Tezuka's legs.
It's so empty at night. They could almost be alone, except for the voices that drift by occasionally. Maybe any minute now, someone will see them and yell at them to come inside, but for now, it's fun to pretend those people don't exist. Marui turns his head, pressing his nose against Tezuka's cheek. "SnowTezuka!" he growls, tempted to follow it up with TezukaBall!! but figuring it would chase Tezuka away. Maybe later.
Pulling away, Marui starts to run into the dark, sliding on the snow. He ends up on his knees in it, his hands pressing down on the soft whiteness of it. So cold. So fucking cold. He turns, rolling on his back.
Tezuka follows at a much slower pace, stepping onto the snow and scuffing some automatically with the toe of his sneaker. He feels like he should tell Marui to be more careful, to not catch a cold and ask where his gloves are - but Marui would ignore him, and Tezuka would sound like an old man again.
He stands next to Marui, studying the red-head curiously for a moment - the rise and fall of his chest, barely visible under his coat; the pink tinge on his cheeks and the tip of his nose - before plopping himself down on the snow as well. His pants will be wet later, he notes with a slight frown. Still he lays back and adjusts his glasses, blinking at the stars. His hands rest on his stomach and he concentrates on the cold and breathing.
They could fill Sanada's hat with snow, Tezuka thinks suddenly. Make him think it was Niou and while he runs around trying to tarundoru the trickster they could make him take Tezuka's bed.
He stops.
Or they couldn't, but it's an idea anyways because he's not going to be sleeping very much tonight. He has a feeling Shishido is going to complain and talk in his sleep.
"Which kids were you think of rolling into a snowball?" He asks, catching his wandering thoughts.
There's something really funny about seeing Tezuka sitting in the snow. Marui doesn't remark on it, doesn't bother laughing. His arms stretch out inside and he's staring at the sky like it's going to fall on him any second now. The long silence is like an inhale, being held and then exhaled when Tezuka speaks.
"I was thinking your roommate but Akaya would probably punch me for it," he says, turning his head towards Tezuka. The snow pets his cheek, soaking it in its cold wetness. Marui ignores it. It's soaking into his pants too, into his socks. "Maybe I can make my roommate one instead."
Sitting up, Marui brrrs, wrapping his arms around himself. "You said we could build a fire here," he points out. So far, he can't see anything to burn but Tezuka is a camper, Tezuka is resourceful. Marui looks at him expectantly.
"You're going to sneak into my room tonight right?" he adds after. Kneeling, he moves to stand at Tezuka's shoulder with snow in his hand. He makes as it to toss it on him in slow motion.
Tezuka frowns up at him, silently daring Marui. He isn't quite sure what he'd do in retaliation, but it never hurts to look serious if it might prevent snow from being dumped on him. "Yes," He replies, rolling away just in case. Snow on his stomach isn't much better than his back so he pulls himself to his knees eyeing Marui. The 'duh' that is meant to go along with his reply gets stuck in his throat so he stays quiet.
It is tempting to push Marui back onto the snow, to jump on him or something thy Marui often does to him, but Tezuka has more self-control than that. "I hope your roommates don't mind," He doesn't actually care. It's hard to when it's Sanada and Tooyama. Echizen is slightly bothersome of a thought, but even that is vague.
"If they don't, they can keep it to themselves," Marui tells him. He drops the snow back on the ground, not having intended to actually dump it on Tezuka. Instead, he crawls forward and places his hands flat against the other boy's cheeks, letting him feel the cold of his hands. The warmth of Tezuka's face pricks at his skin.
Marui leans in. It's so thoughtless, the way he presses his mouth against the other boy's, relishing in how Tezuka's lips manage to feel so soft. Even here. His tongue pushes in invasively. His knees are numb. Closing his eyes, Marui drops his hands to Tezuka's shoulders. His fingers curl into the boy's jacket.
Swallowing each of Tezuka's inhales warms him up inside. Even though their bodies are still inches apart, it feels like Marui can feel Tezuka pressed against him. It's like he can feel the heat of Tezuka's body like he feels the wind combing through his hair and biting at his face.
Sitting back, Marui wipes at his mouth with the back of his hand. He tilts his head back to meet Tezuka's eyes. "Know any good stories?"
His lips and his cheeks are still tingling when Marui pulls away, but Tezuka keeps himself from pulling him down for another kiss and sits up. He is slightly worried by how cold the red-head's hands are and grabs hold of them, frowning and rubbing Marui's fingers as though that will help. "I'm not a very good story teller," He tells him, pulling away his hands to slide off his gloves. It's sad, but maybe they should go inside - at least to get Marui a pair of gloves or an extra pair of Tezuka's. "It was careless of you not to wear gloves." The reprimand is gentle and less serious than it probably should have been, but he won't let himself be embarrassed even when he sounds like a joke. He holds out the pair of gloves, waiting.
"Stories are better for campfires, anyways," He adds, straightening his glasses with one hands. His breath clouds as he exhales. Maybe he can think of a story by the time they have a proper campfire and something to burn so he could make one. Unless Marui has a story. Tezuka tilts his head, curious now.
He doesn't take the gloves.
The corners of his mouth lifting, curling into the semblance of a smile, Marui shakes his head. "Your hands are going to get cold if you give them to me," he points out. "I'll live." He moves his hands behind his knees, warming them with the heat of his legs pressing against them. "You should put on your gloves and make us a fire."
The thing is that Marui is sure if Tezuka tried to be, he could be a perfect storyteller. He keeps the thought to himself though, staying huddled in place while snow starts to fall in perfect little puffs of white around them. "I guess I can make up a story while you do that."
He can feel his fingers again. Marui pulls his hands back out, resting back on his elbows, his eyes hooding a bit as he regards the other boy. "There was once a gingerbread man living in Germany who woke up and decided he needed to go on a trip." Pause. He watches Tezuka for any traces of a grimace. "He didn't have any money though. So, gathering up his courage, he went to talk to the Pillsbury Witch, who took one look at him and decided she'd be sneaky. She told him she'd help him find a way to Japan," Marui stops again, this time to find a plausible reason for the cookie to go to Japan. There isn't one so he shrugs and keeps going, "but first he has to let her decorate him with icing and candies. And there are rules. He has to get from her house to Japan following her instructions in one piece. If he doesn't, then she gets to eat him. No nibbles around the corners allowed or anything."
A fire is going to be harder than Marui seems to realize. The only thing he could burn, maybe, is the bare tree alongside the pathway next to the dorm buildings but Tezuka doubts there are any dead, dry branches he can burn - even if his matches sit in his jacket pocket like always. It's hard not to be careless in winter, and it's even harder in winter and at the base of a ski hill. Still, he gets to his feet and brushes the snow off his pants.
He leaves behind the gloves and wanders towards the lone tree, studying it curiously and wondering when someone was going to come outside and yell at them for not following curfew. Or for trying to make a fire. It's all rather worrisome, so he concentrates on Marui's story instead as he pulls on a branch above his head as a test. He finds it too bendy, too alive still and moves on to the one next to it and closer. This one snaps like the ice and snow under their feet, which is more pleasing than it should be.
There's no offer from Marui to help.
Tezuka's search for firewood is exciting, though Marui's unsure if it's because he wants a fire or because it gets him bothered to have Tezuka do things for him. Either way, it's a few seconds before he can keep talking.
The story. Yeah. Marui has a hard time concentrating on what he's saying. "The gingerbread man is a pretty trusting guy," Marui continues. "He trusts the witch, so he lets her decorate him with frosting and all kinds of candy. As soon as she's done, he sets off with a map and a plane ticket to Japan. And it's hard, because the witch makes sure that all kinds of things come up on the way. Something sticky but not bad enough that he can't get away if he thinks hard enough. She just wants him to lose an arm or a leg. Everything else, she needs to get to Japan so she can eat it."
Each branch seems to have something wrong with it, Marui notes. He half wishes Tezuka could just bring all of them back and try to burn them anyway. He shivers. A flake of snow lands on his upper lip and his tongue darts out to lick it off quickly.
"Our gingerbread man is lucky. He wasn't baked the smartest but he's not dumb either and he has some pretty good common sense." Marui's eyes close. "He boards the plane after a fight with a dog and having to dodge a hungry toddler that was crawling around the airport. He takes his gingerbread man luggage and sets it next to all the big suitcases and sits down on top of it to think of a plan to avoid the witch. He hasn't lost any body parts and he hasn't been nibbled but the gingerbread man's pieced things together on the way and he realizes the witch plans to eat him no matter what."
It's hard to think of a story when it's this cold. Marui's teeth clench tightly for a moment, and he supresses a shudder. He's too close to the snow, he knows, but getting up would show he's not up for this and Tezuka will most likely tell him to go inside. Marui doesn't want to rejoin the others.
So he keeps talking. "While he's on the plane, the gingerbread man meets three animals. One's an ant, the second's a rat, and the third's an old spider. Each asks him for a piece of himself in exchange for help but the gingerbread man is afraid. He can see they're all close to dying of hunger and while he wouldn't miss any of the candy pieces the witch had frosted on he's hoping that there's a chance to escape her if he stays in once piece." Marui licks his lips. "Let's focus away from the gingerbread man though, to one of the passengers. We'll say he's me. And I'm on my way back home from a long trip to uhhh Switzerland." Marui rolls his eyes at his lack of creativity but whatever. It's just him and Tezuka.
"I'm really hungry too. I've eaten everything I brought to the plane with me and the stewardess refuses to bring me anything more to eat because apparently, the other passengers are supposed to get food too." He snickers. "So, I'm hungry and annoyed and I go off and find myself in the bag area." Which seems impossible but Marui isn't worried about the plausibility of his story. "I pass by the ant first. He's in the perfect place to bite and distract me but remembering the selfishness of the gingerbread man, he lets me pass. Then I pass the rat's hiding place and he thinks about attacking me but he knows that if I see him I'll probably tell the stewardess and what does he owe the gingerbread man anyway? The last is the old spider. He's the only one with a conscience and he starts to come down to get me but I pass by while he's making his way down."
Here, Marui pauses again. "Do you think the gingerbread man tries to run away?" he asks Tezuka softly.
It doesn't matter whether Tezuka answers or not. Marui is already going on. "The gingerbread man sees me and he stands up. He thinks about running. And then he sees the old spider that's still trying to weave his way down to attack me from behind. Realizing how horrible he was, he stands still and waits for me to pick him up. Before I reach him though, he pulls off the red candy piece on his chest, the biggest one, and rolls it towards the spider. Then he stands up straight and proud, even though he kind of winces when I smudge his frosting."
Marui opens his eyes. "Anyway, I ate him and his suitcase. I let the spider have the piece the gingerbread man gave him but I squashed the ant on my way back. When the plane lands, the witch comes around to find the gingerbread man. She has this trap set out for him and she's waiting by the luggage thing when she sees something coming. She quickly jumps forward to grab it and it ends up being the rat. And he attacks her and they both end up falling into a sewer where the witch melts because she's made out of sugar and the rat drowns in it." There's a big ass grin on his face now and when Tezuka comes closer, Marui beams at him. "The end."
That was...creative, Tezuka thinks as he kneels down in front of Marui. He barely has enough branches for a small fire, but that might be enough to please Marui. If he can get it started. "I suppose that's what the gingerbread man gets for letting his guard down," He mutters, frowning at his pathetic assortment of 'wood'. There is no chance he can top that story but he supposes he can think one up for next time. "At least you weren't as hungry." Marui had a seemingly insatiable hunger, however, but Tezuka doesn't say that out loud. He snaps a branch into three pieces instead, frown growing as he studies them sitting on his knees.
A moment later he looks up and sighs. "I think you're asking for the impossible," He grumbles, snapping another branch. This is ridiculous, and not going to work. Unless Marui wanted to come up with another story to entertain them both while Tezuka tried to make this fire work. Another snap and this one is in four pieces. They could go inside and kick Tooyama out of the room and to deal with Shishido and maybe sleep.
So, so tempting.
This isn't part of the deal. What's supposed to happen is Marui tells the story and Tezuka gets the fire started like the big caveman he is. The snow is still falling, a little harder now, and Marui sighs, shuffling stiffly to his knees. "I don't know if I can think up another story," he admits. He's really too cold to think. Wrapping his arms around Tezuka, he knocks the firewood out of the other's grip and hugs him tight. "Holy shit I'm so cold, keep me warm."
And Tezuka is better than any fire. Marui blows on the boy's neck. He nudges it with his nose. "I can't move," he tells him after a few minutes of silence. Long silence full of exhales and inhales that are felt against his chest with each rise and fall of Tezuka's. "Carry me back inside?" Hopefulness hides inside the question, while Marui's fingers sneak into the folds of Tezuka's clothes.
Staying outside was probably a foolish idea, now that Tezuka thinks about it. He isn't that cold himself, not with Marui warm in his arms and against him. "Maybe," He mumbles in response, reluctant to let go. Marui's nose is cold against his neck and Tezuka suppresses a shiver, rubbing the red-head's back in an attempt to warm him up. With a sigh he hugs Marui closer one more time then lets his his arms fall away. "Come on." Getting to his feet makes him realize how stiff the cold has made his legs and he frowns, tugging Marui up gently with him.
Tezuka can't see himself hooking an arm under Marui's knees or whatever one did when carrying someone, so he doesn't. Instead, he bends quickly and scoops his gloves off the ground, brushing some stubborn snow from them. Rather than offering them to Marui, this time he takes one of his hands and slips the red-head's fingers through into one of the articles. "Don't go outside without mitts anymore," Tezuka grumbles after making sure the glove is on the other's hand. He repeats the process with Marui's other hand and his other glove, then stops and simply frowns for a moment.
He turns his back to Marui and bends, unable to get all the awkwardness out of him still. "I can't carry you," He mumbles, waiting for the red-head to get on his back. "I don't want to drop you."
It takes Marui alot longer to make it to his feet. He's unsteady and pulls his coat tighter around him, as if it would keep away any more cold. Really, he needs to start rethinking some of the things he does but right now, it's easier to slither onto Tezuka's back, his arms wrapping lazily around the other's neck. His hips twist up, and he clings to the other boy with a soft whine.
"Thanks," Marui whispers. He's pressed up so tightly against Tezuka that it feels he might freeze into him. Maybe they'll become ice statues out here. His legs wrap around Tezuka's torso, thighs rubbing to the other boy's sides. "I think my legs froze," he adds with a laugh.
His fingers are alive again though, under Tezuka's glove. He reaches up and strokes the other boy's hair idly, watching as Tezuka makes his way to Marui's room. It's hard not to feel overly girly like this, even if Tezuka isn't carrying him the right way at all, he's still letting Marui slack off on walking and get away with near freezing him. Marui wriggles uncomfortably at the thought. Yeah, better not think like that. His arms tighten.
Yeah, they're definitely freezing into each other. Souls bleeding together or some poetic nonsense. Marui sighs. "Did you ever end up reading the book I mentioned when we started talking?"
Tezuka's feet and mind are cold and his thoughts are sluggish so it takes a moment for the right book to come to mind. The snow crusted on his shoe laces and toes and socks and the breathing by his ear are all very distracting, annoyingly so and he doesn't quite know what to do with himself other than get Marui inside as quickly as possible. "I don't borrow books and never read them," He says by way of response, ignoring the biting on his cheeks when a wind blows against them.
His arms tighten and he shifts Marui higher on his back, grimacing as he turns around a corner and towards a side door. There is ice on the walkway and he steps around it carefully, concentrating on not slipping even as Marui fidgets on his back. The red-head is always so restless.
He thinks, then, that that book is probably the reason why he started being less annoyed with how Marui was - is, since Marui hasn't changed as far as Tezuka can tell, except he sits in his lap on a regular basis and they kiss a lot. But it's dumb to give the credit to a book. He pulls open the door awkwardly and ducks inside, breathing out at the warmth that's already making his skin itch.
"Just checking," Marui says contently. He's not sure why he's thinking about it. Something about the walk through the snow reminds him of it. Marui rests his chin on Tezuka's shoulder and hides his face in the other's neck.
It's not long before they're inside. The heat wraps around him and it's almost like choking after having been breathing in the crisp, clear cold. Marui groans but it's not entirely a bad feeling, especially when they move further into the building and the numbness starts to melt away. Feeling spreads, a little unpleasantly in some parts, but Marui's still so wrapped up around Tezuka's torso that he doesn't care.
They're not far from his room. It's the first thing Marui notices when he looks up from Tezuka's shoulder. He thinks about his roommates and the fact that they'll probably all be awake but who the fuck cares really. His bed is big enough for both him and Tezuka and the other boy has already agreed to stay. Maybe Tezuka is as dependent on sleeping with him as he's with the other boy and the idea makes Marui smile and his hand wander slowly up and down the other's chest. One arm is still curled around Tezuka's neck to keep him in place.
"You should kick the shrimp out of his bed so we can push two beds together here too," Marui suggests as they come up to his door. "I bet he'll get along great with Kintarou." His words come out too teasing and Marui shifts on Tezuka's back.
Tezuka snorts. "Not a chance," There is no way he will condemn Echizen to that, and he can't justify kicking the younger out of his bed when Tezuka is the one intruding in the first place. His mind flickers to his empty bed with Shishido, Kaidoh and Chitose. "We could tell one of them my bed is free," He offers, half-seriously. He realizes then that Marui has referred to Echizen as 'the shrimp' yet again, but he shuts his mouth on a correction. Marui won't listen.
It doesn't matter. They've fit on a single bed together before, there just isn't much personal space. Tezuka thinks he has no personal space left anyways, not with Marui.
The red-head's hand on his chest tells him it's time to let him down. He stops in front of the door, letting go carefully so as not to actually drop the other.
And so it's time to get off, eh? Marui half whines but he ends up sliding off Tezuka's back good naturedly. At least he didn't have to walk to the room in the first place. Stretching, he starts to undo his jacket, shedding it quickly. It ends up pooled near his feet. "Which one are we pointing over there?" he asks. The thought of sending Sanada out of the room is so entertaining but he's the only one Marui's ok with. So maybe not.
Trying to remember who Tezuka's roommates are is annoying. He can remember Shishido (because of Kirihara) but the other two escape him. Thinking, thinking. Oh those two. Relieved that he's remembered, Marui steps up on his tippy-toes and pecks Tezuka's cheek. "Let's tell Kintarou to go," is his choice. Especially since Tezuka doesn't seem to want to kick Echizen to the floor. "Isn't one of your roommates on his team?" That cinches it.
Reaching down to pick up his jacket, Marui pushes the door open and steps into his room.
What: Playing in the snow! :D
Where: OUTSIDE
When: First night. (Dec 4)
Rating: PG
Comments: Tezuka and I are really lame in this. .__. and Sanada, Shotapie and Kin-chan need to be aware Tezuka has totally abandoned his roommates to sleep with Marui. :| This is a present tense!log.
It's the first night. The sky is overwhelming. The stars are dancing over his head. Somewhere in the midst of the cold and the loud noises that drift outdoors from his room, sleep crawls closer. It's breathed in on Marui's next exhale, sneaks into his clothes like the wind outdoors. The snow is goddamn gorgeous, stretching out as far as he can see and Marui thinks that it's a shame he can't just lay in it forever.
Not now though.
Maybe later.
Right now, there are more important things. His hands are buried in his coat pockets, going numb. It's strangely relaxing to be standing around and freezing. Marui's eyes scour the landscape for a final time. There's nothing in sight. No one he wants to see.
Feet turn. Shivering, he's making his way to Tezuka's dorm with the hope that the other boy will be on his way to find him too. He doesn't want to be the only one enjoying this. His tongue is pressed to the roof of his mouth, anxiously, all candy left behind in his room because Marui doesn't want to risk running low on a trip. He's already had too much.
The memory makes him grimace as he turns to where Tezuka is staying. There's a knot in his stomach that says he's being extremely needy, overwhelming, but it's one of those things that are easy to ignore when he feels like it.
Tezuka's glad for his mitts and heavy jacket when he crunches through the snow, even though the chill bites through his layers and his pant legs. It was probably not very smart to wander outside in his sneakers rather than his boots but he would deal with the wet bottoms and sides and shoe laces another time. His nose is itching from being so cold and when he breathes out he can see a cloud float away.
He rounds a corner, stepping onto the main walkway and shivering, clapping his feet against the sidewalk habitually. The sky is clear and welcoming even with the cold, making Tezuka think about Marui's little rant about the stars, only a few days before. He almost smiles at the thought and tilts his head back to look straight ahead, following the lights along the side of the small dorm building.
There is no one else Tezuka can think of with hair as bright red as that, vibrant against the nighttime, snowy landscape and reminding him that he's sharing a room with one person he does not care for, one he respects enough and another who was once his teammate - and none of whom smell anything like artificial apple flavouring or that he is interested in kissing.
"It's cold," He points out by way of greeting, ignoring that it's the obvious and the pink on Marui's cheeks from the chill pressing around them. He wants to hold the other's hand, but both of them have their hands in their pockets and it's fine standing next to him. "But it's nice." It is pretty here, and he is honestly excited to go skiing the next day.
Even the simple greeting makes Marui shiver.
The words, 'do you want to take a tumble in the snow,' scroll through his brain and it takes half a second to pay attention to the Tezuka that is there instead of the one in his vision rolling over the snow. He exhales visibly, loudly. "It is nice," Marui agrees and steps closer.
There's nothing to do but stand there. Marui pulls his hand free of his jacket, touching Tezuka's arm. "Where should we go?"
It's being here that makes this trip worthwhile, he decides. In that whole cheesesque melted-heart-at-the-feet type of way. Marui peers at the snow at their feet. He kicks some over Tezuka's shoes. "Tomorrow morning," he keeps saying, not giving Tezuka a chance to reply just yet, "We should build a snowman together. Somewhere out of the way while everyone goes off to ski." Marui knows he needs to give Tezuka time to have fun too but it's not as easy doing as it is saying. He bites his lip and waits for the other boy to agree.
"We can, right?"
Tezuka frowns at the snow on his shoes, momentarily worried that his socks might wind up wet later alongside his sneakers and the hem of his pants. He hasn't built a snowman since he was very small and it was alright to play in the snow with his parents and friends. They could go skiing in the afternoon, he tells himself as he flicks the snow away again. "Yes," He says, turning his head to look at Marui. He pulls a gloved hand out of his pocket and takes he red-head's hand while he can, letting them hang between them and reluctant to let go. "Of course we can." Tezuka feels stupid agreeing so easily, but they have ten days for skiing and snowmen and whatever else strike Marui's fancy.
He is curious about what is around them, other than snow and schoolmates he doesn't really want to deal with right then. Squeezing Marui's hand gently, Tezuka turns and continues walking the other had come. He tugs him along gently, curiosity and some strange, familiar euphoria from being out and about affecting his judgment. Things can't be much different this way than what he'd already seen, but everything looks like it's different at night and he is reluctant to go back inside.
Following always wins. Marui doesn't bother to pull free. His hand is warm and sweaty in Tezuka's, his fingers curling around the other's. "Good, I think I want to grab one of the kids and roll them up as a snowball, what do you think?" he says, mostly teasing, because he knows that Tezuka would never agree.
There are alot of things Tezuka wouldn't agree to, and Marui understands this, but it doesn't mean he's going to give up on them yet. Trotting up a few steps, he jumps on Tezuka's back, his hand twisting free so he can wrap his arms around the other boy's shoulders. He presses his cheek against Tezuka's, chuckling, "Maybe I'll roll you up as a snowman," he says, knees bumping against Tezuka's legs.
It's so empty at night. They could almost be alone, except for the voices that drift by occasionally. Maybe any minute now, someone will see them and yell at them to come inside, but for now, it's fun to pretend those people don't exist. Marui turns his head, pressing his nose against Tezuka's cheek. "SnowTezuka!" he growls, tempted to follow it up with TezukaBall!! but figuring it would chase Tezuka away. Maybe later.
Pulling away, Marui starts to run into the dark, sliding on the snow. He ends up on his knees in it, his hands pressing down on the soft whiteness of it. So cold. So fucking cold. He turns, rolling on his back.
Tezuka follows at a much slower pace, stepping onto the snow and scuffing some automatically with the toe of his sneaker. He feels like he should tell Marui to be more careful, to not catch a cold and ask where his gloves are - but Marui would ignore him, and Tezuka would sound like an old man again.
He stands next to Marui, studying the red-head curiously for a moment - the rise and fall of his chest, barely visible under his coat; the pink tinge on his cheeks and the tip of his nose - before plopping himself down on the snow as well. His pants will be wet later, he notes with a slight frown. Still he lays back and adjusts his glasses, blinking at the stars. His hands rest on his stomach and he concentrates on the cold and breathing.
They could fill Sanada's hat with snow, Tezuka thinks suddenly. Make him think it was Niou and while he runs around trying to tarundoru the trickster they could make him take Tezuka's bed.
He stops.
Or they couldn't, but it's an idea anyways because he's not going to be sleeping very much tonight. He has a feeling Shishido is going to complain and talk in his sleep.
"Which kids were you think of rolling into a snowball?" He asks, catching his wandering thoughts.
There's something really funny about seeing Tezuka sitting in the snow. Marui doesn't remark on it, doesn't bother laughing. His arms stretch out inside and he's staring at the sky like it's going to fall on him any second now. The long silence is like an inhale, being held and then exhaled when Tezuka speaks.
"I was thinking your roommate but Akaya would probably punch me for it," he says, turning his head towards Tezuka. The snow pets his cheek, soaking it in its cold wetness. Marui ignores it. It's soaking into his pants too, into his socks. "Maybe I can make my roommate one instead."
Sitting up, Marui brrrs, wrapping his arms around himself. "You said we could build a fire here," he points out. So far, he can't see anything to burn but Tezuka is a camper, Tezuka is resourceful. Marui looks at him expectantly.
"You're going to sneak into my room tonight right?" he adds after. Kneeling, he moves to stand at Tezuka's shoulder with snow in his hand. He makes as it to toss it on him in slow motion.
Tezuka frowns up at him, silently daring Marui. He isn't quite sure what he'd do in retaliation, but it never hurts to look serious if it might prevent snow from being dumped on him. "Yes," He replies, rolling away just in case. Snow on his stomach isn't much better than his back so he pulls himself to his knees eyeing Marui. The 'duh' that is meant to go along with his reply gets stuck in his throat so he stays quiet.
It is tempting to push Marui back onto the snow, to jump on him or something thy Marui often does to him, but Tezuka has more self-control than that. "I hope your roommates don't mind," He doesn't actually care. It's hard to when it's Sanada and Tooyama. Echizen is slightly bothersome of a thought, but even that is vague.
"If they don't, they can keep it to themselves," Marui tells him. He drops the snow back on the ground, not having intended to actually dump it on Tezuka. Instead, he crawls forward and places his hands flat against the other boy's cheeks, letting him feel the cold of his hands. The warmth of Tezuka's face pricks at his skin.
Marui leans in. It's so thoughtless, the way he presses his mouth against the other boy's, relishing in how Tezuka's lips manage to feel so soft. Even here. His tongue pushes in invasively. His knees are numb. Closing his eyes, Marui drops his hands to Tezuka's shoulders. His fingers curl into the boy's jacket.
Swallowing each of Tezuka's inhales warms him up inside. Even though their bodies are still inches apart, it feels like Marui can feel Tezuka pressed against him. It's like he can feel the heat of Tezuka's body like he feels the wind combing through his hair and biting at his face.
Sitting back, Marui wipes at his mouth with the back of his hand. He tilts his head back to meet Tezuka's eyes. "Know any good stories?"
His lips and his cheeks are still tingling when Marui pulls away, but Tezuka keeps himself from pulling him down for another kiss and sits up. He is slightly worried by how cold the red-head's hands are and grabs hold of them, frowning and rubbing Marui's fingers as though that will help. "I'm not a very good story teller," He tells him, pulling away his hands to slide off his gloves. It's sad, but maybe they should go inside - at least to get Marui a pair of gloves or an extra pair of Tezuka's. "It was careless of you not to wear gloves." The reprimand is gentle and less serious than it probably should have been, but he won't let himself be embarrassed even when he sounds like a joke. He holds out the pair of gloves, waiting.
"Stories are better for campfires, anyways," He adds, straightening his glasses with one hands. His breath clouds as he exhales. Maybe he can think of a story by the time they have a proper campfire and something to burn so he could make one. Unless Marui has a story. Tezuka tilts his head, curious now.
He doesn't take the gloves.
The corners of his mouth lifting, curling into the semblance of a smile, Marui shakes his head. "Your hands are going to get cold if you give them to me," he points out. "I'll live." He moves his hands behind his knees, warming them with the heat of his legs pressing against them. "You should put on your gloves and make us a fire."
The thing is that Marui is sure if Tezuka tried to be, he could be a perfect storyteller. He keeps the thought to himself though, staying huddled in place while snow starts to fall in perfect little puffs of white around them. "I guess I can make up a story while you do that."
He can feel his fingers again. Marui pulls his hands back out, resting back on his elbows, his eyes hooding a bit as he regards the other boy. "There was once a gingerbread man living in Germany who woke up and decided he needed to go on a trip." Pause. He watches Tezuka for any traces of a grimace. "He didn't have any money though. So, gathering up his courage, he went to talk to the Pillsbury Witch, who took one look at him and decided she'd be sneaky. She told him she'd help him find a way to Japan," Marui stops again, this time to find a plausible reason for the cookie to go to Japan. There isn't one so he shrugs and keeps going, "but first he has to let her decorate him with icing and candies. And there are rules. He has to get from her house to Japan following her instructions in one piece. If he doesn't, then she gets to eat him. No nibbles around the corners allowed or anything."
A fire is going to be harder than Marui seems to realize. The only thing he could burn, maybe, is the bare tree alongside the pathway next to the dorm buildings but Tezuka doubts there are any dead, dry branches he can burn - even if his matches sit in his jacket pocket like always. It's hard not to be careless in winter, and it's even harder in winter and at the base of a ski hill. Still, he gets to his feet and brushes the snow off his pants.
He leaves behind the gloves and wanders towards the lone tree, studying it curiously and wondering when someone was going to come outside and yell at them for not following curfew. Or for trying to make a fire. It's all rather worrisome, so he concentrates on Marui's story instead as he pulls on a branch above his head as a test. He finds it too bendy, too alive still and moves on to the one next to it and closer. This one snaps like the ice and snow under their feet, which is more pleasing than it should be.
There's no offer from Marui to help.
Tezuka's search for firewood is exciting, though Marui's unsure if it's because he wants a fire or because it gets him bothered to have Tezuka do things for him. Either way, it's a few seconds before he can keep talking.
The story. Yeah. Marui has a hard time concentrating on what he's saying. "The gingerbread man is a pretty trusting guy," Marui continues. "He trusts the witch, so he lets her decorate him with frosting and all kinds of candy. As soon as she's done, he sets off with a map and a plane ticket to Japan. And it's hard, because the witch makes sure that all kinds of things come up on the way. Something sticky but not bad enough that he can't get away if he thinks hard enough. She just wants him to lose an arm or a leg. Everything else, she needs to get to Japan so she can eat it."
Each branch seems to have something wrong with it, Marui notes. He half wishes Tezuka could just bring all of them back and try to burn them anyway. He shivers. A flake of snow lands on his upper lip and his tongue darts out to lick it off quickly.
"Our gingerbread man is lucky. He wasn't baked the smartest but he's not dumb either and he has some pretty good common sense." Marui's eyes close. "He boards the plane after a fight with a dog and having to dodge a hungry toddler that was crawling around the airport. He takes his gingerbread man luggage and sets it next to all the big suitcases and sits down on top of it to think of a plan to avoid the witch. He hasn't lost any body parts and he hasn't been nibbled but the gingerbread man's pieced things together on the way and he realizes the witch plans to eat him no matter what."
It's hard to think of a story when it's this cold. Marui's teeth clench tightly for a moment, and he supresses a shudder. He's too close to the snow, he knows, but getting up would show he's not up for this and Tezuka will most likely tell him to go inside. Marui doesn't want to rejoin the others.
So he keeps talking. "While he's on the plane, the gingerbread man meets three animals. One's an ant, the second's a rat, and the third's an old spider. Each asks him for a piece of himself in exchange for help but the gingerbread man is afraid. He can see they're all close to dying of hunger and while he wouldn't miss any of the candy pieces the witch had frosted on he's hoping that there's a chance to escape her if he stays in once piece." Marui licks his lips. "Let's focus away from the gingerbread man though, to one of the passengers. We'll say he's me. And I'm on my way back home from a long trip to uhhh Switzerland." Marui rolls his eyes at his lack of creativity but whatever. It's just him and Tezuka.
"I'm really hungry too. I've eaten everything I brought to the plane with me and the stewardess refuses to bring me anything more to eat because apparently, the other passengers are supposed to get food too." He snickers. "So, I'm hungry and annoyed and I go off and find myself in the bag area." Which seems impossible but Marui isn't worried about the plausibility of his story. "I pass by the ant first. He's in the perfect place to bite and distract me but remembering the selfishness of the gingerbread man, he lets me pass. Then I pass the rat's hiding place and he thinks about attacking me but he knows that if I see him I'll probably tell the stewardess and what does he owe the gingerbread man anyway? The last is the old spider. He's the only one with a conscience and he starts to come down to get me but I pass by while he's making his way down."
Here, Marui pauses again. "Do you think the gingerbread man tries to run away?" he asks Tezuka softly.
It doesn't matter whether Tezuka answers or not. Marui is already going on. "The gingerbread man sees me and he stands up. He thinks about running. And then he sees the old spider that's still trying to weave his way down to attack me from behind. Realizing how horrible he was, he stands still and waits for me to pick him up. Before I reach him though, he pulls off the red candy piece on his chest, the biggest one, and rolls it towards the spider. Then he stands up straight and proud, even though he kind of winces when I smudge his frosting."
Marui opens his eyes. "Anyway, I ate him and his suitcase. I let the spider have the piece the gingerbread man gave him but I squashed the ant on my way back. When the plane lands, the witch comes around to find the gingerbread man. She has this trap set out for him and she's waiting by the luggage thing when she sees something coming. She quickly jumps forward to grab it and it ends up being the rat. And he attacks her and they both end up falling into a sewer where the witch melts because she's made out of sugar and the rat drowns in it." There's a big ass grin on his face now and when Tezuka comes closer, Marui beams at him. "The end."
That was...creative, Tezuka thinks as he kneels down in front of Marui. He barely has enough branches for a small fire, but that might be enough to please Marui. If he can get it started. "I suppose that's what the gingerbread man gets for letting his guard down," He mutters, frowning at his pathetic assortment of 'wood'. There is no chance he can top that story but he supposes he can think one up for next time. "At least you weren't as hungry." Marui had a seemingly insatiable hunger, however, but Tezuka doesn't say that out loud. He snaps a branch into three pieces instead, frown growing as he studies them sitting on his knees.
A moment later he looks up and sighs. "I think you're asking for the impossible," He grumbles, snapping another branch. This is ridiculous, and not going to work. Unless Marui wanted to come up with another story to entertain them both while Tezuka tried to make this fire work. Another snap and this one is in four pieces. They could go inside and kick Tooyama out of the room and to deal with Shishido and maybe sleep.
So, so tempting.
This isn't part of the deal. What's supposed to happen is Marui tells the story and Tezuka gets the fire started like the big caveman he is. The snow is still falling, a little harder now, and Marui sighs, shuffling stiffly to his knees. "I don't know if I can think up another story," he admits. He's really too cold to think. Wrapping his arms around Tezuka, he knocks the firewood out of the other's grip and hugs him tight. "Holy shit I'm so cold, keep me warm."
And Tezuka is better than any fire. Marui blows on the boy's neck. He nudges it with his nose. "I can't move," he tells him after a few minutes of silence. Long silence full of exhales and inhales that are felt against his chest with each rise and fall of Tezuka's. "Carry me back inside?" Hopefulness hides inside the question, while Marui's fingers sneak into the folds of Tezuka's clothes.
Staying outside was probably a foolish idea, now that Tezuka thinks about it. He isn't that cold himself, not with Marui warm in his arms and against him. "Maybe," He mumbles in response, reluctant to let go. Marui's nose is cold against his neck and Tezuka suppresses a shiver, rubbing the red-head's back in an attempt to warm him up. With a sigh he hugs Marui closer one more time then lets his his arms fall away. "Come on." Getting to his feet makes him realize how stiff the cold has made his legs and he frowns, tugging Marui up gently with him.
Tezuka can't see himself hooking an arm under Marui's knees or whatever one did when carrying someone, so he doesn't. Instead, he bends quickly and scoops his gloves off the ground, brushing some stubborn snow from them. Rather than offering them to Marui, this time he takes one of his hands and slips the red-head's fingers through into one of the articles. "Don't go outside without mitts anymore," Tezuka grumbles after making sure the glove is on the other's hand. He repeats the process with Marui's other hand and his other glove, then stops and simply frowns for a moment.
He turns his back to Marui and bends, unable to get all the awkwardness out of him still. "I can't carry you," He mumbles, waiting for the red-head to get on his back. "I don't want to drop you."
It takes Marui alot longer to make it to his feet. He's unsteady and pulls his coat tighter around him, as if it would keep away any more cold. Really, he needs to start rethinking some of the things he does but right now, it's easier to slither onto Tezuka's back, his arms wrapping lazily around the other's neck. His hips twist up, and he clings to the other boy with a soft whine.
"Thanks," Marui whispers. He's pressed up so tightly against Tezuka that it feels he might freeze into him. Maybe they'll become ice statues out here. His legs wrap around Tezuka's torso, thighs rubbing to the other boy's sides. "I think my legs froze," he adds with a laugh.
His fingers are alive again though, under Tezuka's glove. He reaches up and strokes the other boy's hair idly, watching as Tezuka makes his way to Marui's room. It's hard not to feel overly girly like this, even if Tezuka isn't carrying him the right way at all, he's still letting Marui slack off on walking and get away with near freezing him. Marui wriggles uncomfortably at the thought. Yeah, better not think like that. His arms tighten.
Yeah, they're definitely freezing into each other. Souls bleeding together or some poetic nonsense. Marui sighs. "Did you ever end up reading the book I mentioned when we started talking?"
Tezuka's feet and mind are cold and his thoughts are sluggish so it takes a moment for the right book to come to mind. The snow crusted on his shoe laces and toes and socks and the breathing by his ear are all very distracting, annoyingly so and he doesn't quite know what to do with himself other than get Marui inside as quickly as possible. "I don't borrow books and never read them," He says by way of response, ignoring the biting on his cheeks when a wind blows against them.
His arms tighten and he shifts Marui higher on his back, grimacing as he turns around a corner and towards a side door. There is ice on the walkway and he steps around it carefully, concentrating on not slipping even as Marui fidgets on his back. The red-head is always so restless.
He thinks, then, that that book is probably the reason why he started being less annoyed with how Marui was - is, since Marui hasn't changed as far as Tezuka can tell, except he sits in his lap on a regular basis and they kiss a lot. But it's dumb to give the credit to a book. He pulls open the door awkwardly and ducks inside, breathing out at the warmth that's already making his skin itch.
"Just checking," Marui says contently. He's not sure why he's thinking about it. Something about the walk through the snow reminds him of it. Marui rests his chin on Tezuka's shoulder and hides his face in the other's neck.
It's not long before they're inside. The heat wraps around him and it's almost like choking after having been breathing in the crisp, clear cold. Marui groans but it's not entirely a bad feeling, especially when they move further into the building and the numbness starts to melt away. Feeling spreads, a little unpleasantly in some parts, but Marui's still so wrapped up around Tezuka's torso that he doesn't care.
They're not far from his room. It's the first thing Marui notices when he looks up from Tezuka's shoulder. He thinks about his roommates and the fact that they'll probably all be awake but who the fuck cares really. His bed is big enough for both him and Tezuka and the other boy has already agreed to stay. Maybe Tezuka is as dependent on sleeping with him as he's with the other boy and the idea makes Marui smile and his hand wander slowly up and down the other's chest. One arm is still curled around Tezuka's neck to keep him in place.
"You should kick the shrimp out of his bed so we can push two beds together here too," Marui suggests as they come up to his door. "I bet he'll get along great with Kintarou." His words come out too teasing and Marui shifts on Tezuka's back.
Tezuka snorts. "Not a chance," There is no way he will condemn Echizen to that, and he can't justify kicking the younger out of his bed when Tezuka is the one intruding in the first place. His mind flickers to his empty bed with Shishido, Kaidoh and Chitose. "We could tell one of them my bed is free," He offers, half-seriously. He realizes then that Marui has referred to Echizen as 'the shrimp' yet again, but he shuts his mouth on a correction. Marui won't listen.
It doesn't matter. They've fit on a single bed together before, there just isn't much personal space. Tezuka thinks he has no personal space left anyways, not with Marui.
The red-head's hand on his chest tells him it's time to let him down. He stops in front of the door, letting go carefully so as not to actually drop the other.
And so it's time to get off, eh? Marui half whines but he ends up sliding off Tezuka's back good naturedly. At least he didn't have to walk to the room in the first place. Stretching, he starts to undo his jacket, shedding it quickly. It ends up pooled near his feet. "Which one are we pointing over there?" he asks. The thought of sending Sanada out of the room is so entertaining but he's the only one Marui's ok with. So maybe not.
Trying to remember who Tezuka's roommates are is annoying. He can remember Shishido (because of Kirihara) but the other two escape him. Thinking, thinking. Oh those two. Relieved that he's remembered, Marui steps up on his tippy-toes and pecks Tezuka's cheek. "Let's tell Kintarou to go," is his choice. Especially since Tezuka doesn't seem to want to kick Echizen to the floor. "Isn't one of your roommates on his team?" That cinches it.
Reaching down to pick up his jacket, Marui pushes the door open and steps into his room.