Disclaimer: If I owned it Ryoma would never have beaten Mura. XP
Snow. It's the most peculiar substance. On some days, the icy flakes glide from the skies into soft pillows replacing the sidewalks and fields. On others, the docile snow turns frigid and travels on the wind in armies to attack the unprotected faces of naïve commuters. An ever-changing anomaly, that's what snow is, forever unpredictable and yet, it manages to stay forever the same. In a way, the falling snow is like a pair people who once stood beneath the clouds in a quiet haven created by the snow.
The first boy was short of stature and the thin tennis jacket he was wearing that day did little to protect him from the cold. The other boy was slender in frame and his arm supported an umbrella above the heads of both his companion and himself.
The distance between the two was comfortable. It wasn't far enough to suggest they were strangers who were simply walking in the same direction, but it wasn't close enough to suggest that they were more than friends.
"…Are you okay Echizen? You're shivering."
The shorter boy ignored the question and pulled his jacket closer to his body. He received a chuckle for his response.
"Ryoma-kun, your lips are turning blue."
"Che."
Ryoma pulled his cap down to cover his face.
"E-eh? Fuji-senpai?"
Fluffy folds smothered Ryoma's face as Fuji wrapped his scarf around the younger boy.
"You look cold. I can't let my adorable kouhai freeze now can I?" Fuji smiled and his fingers lingered ever so slightly on the edges of the scarf.
"…Fuji-senpai… Why did you bring an umbrella today?" asked Ryoma in an attempt to change the subject. "The weather reports said it would be sunny."
Fuji grinned, more so to himself than to Ryoma. "Nee-san said that there would be bad weather today, so I brought one along. Her predictions are frighteningly accurate."
"Hnnn…You know… My hands are getting pretty cold too senpai," remarked Ryoma with a coy smile.
"I guess I'll just have to do something about that then."
Once upon a snowy afternoon, two boys walked home together, fingers laced. Only the ever-changing snow saw their content smiles as the ice fell from the sky.
(Author's Note: So... I'm alive I suppose! Yes, this is probably out of season for a lot of people and it is pure fluff. Just pretend you live in Australia... Or think about snow to beat the heat. All I have left to say is HAPPY BIRTHDAY AKANISHI JIN!! Much Akame luv to the boy and his magical hips and crazy vocal range Other than that, if you find anything wrong with this fic or you have any suggestions on making it better, please let me know and I'll do my best to fix it