A/N: I reeeeeally wanted to write something with a summer theme, preferably Burn/Gazel, so I forced myself to think until I managed to cook up a decent plot. I'm satisfied with how it came out, and that I finally managed to write a fic again. :) The story contains references to another fic of mine, "Our Childhood", and was inspired by a Pixiv drawing with ID 15677407. It's sadly unviewable at this point, but I should give credit where credit's due. Enjoy minna!

The summer sun shone viciously on the roof of Sun Garden. It was mid-August and, after three weeks of continuous rain showers, the children could finally celebrate their vacation properly: by taking a dip in the brandnew pool Hitomiko had installed in the backyard. It was big enough for all the orphans and even had a slide, as well as a diving board. Now that the rainclouds had faded for an endless blue sky and a wicked heat, everybody found refreshment in the water.

That is, except for Nagumo Haruya. The twelve-year-old redhead adored heat, so much so that the only refreshment he needed was an occasional glass of water. The pool was too cold for him – instead, he spent his time happily sunbathing in a foldable lazy chair, eyes hidden behind sunglasses. He wanted to jump out into the sun the moment he and his siblings finished breakfast this morning, but Hitomiko had grabbed him by the wrist and annoyingly insisted he put on sunscreen first. She was so stupid, Nagumo loved the sun. He wouldn't get burns as easily as, say, the boy that was so allergic to it he looked ready to melt in the shade.

Nagumo scanned his darkened surroundings. As expected, Suzuno Fuusuke was nowhere to be found. Having known him since they were no less than six, he'd gotten used to his best friend hiding away in his room in attempt to evade every beam of sunlight during summer. Today's heat was the kind of heat that drained you both inside and outside, but Nagumo still didn't think Suzuno's choice was the healthiest. He was better off playing outside with the others, joining them in the pool and actually having fun for what little they had left of their precious summer vacation. Plus, Nagumo missed him. He didn't like the thought of his friend being cooped up in his lonely room, while literally every other resident of the orphanage was spending time outside. He knew Suzuno liked his privacy, and he'd been told more than once by their caretaker that he should respect their differences – as if he needed her to remind him –, but Nagumo couldn't just ignore the nagging idea that Suzuno was missing out on the fun because of his irritability.

Thus, Nagumo got up from his chair, shoved his sunglasses into his pocket, and went inside. After ascending the stairs, he made straight for Suzuno's room and opened the door without a warning. He found his friend exactly the way he thought he would: in his bed, curtains closed, fan blowing his hair to one side, and a book shielding the lower half of his face. The curtains weren't thick enough to block out all of the sunlight, so he had no trouble reading.

Suzuno looked up from the book and gave his friend a scowl. "What happened to knocking?"

"Turn off that fan and get your butt in gear," Nagumo ordered, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder and completely ignoring the question. "You're going outside."

Suzuno returned the favour by flicking his eyes back to the book and pretending he never said that. "You know how I am with heat."

"Well, locking yourself up in here ain't gonna help." Nagumo marched over and snatched the book out of his hands. Again inviting Suzuno's discontent eyes, he wiped his free hand across his forehead. "See, you're all sweaty. Doesn't matter if you're in or out, so you might as well be out. Besides, I thought you were looking forward to the pool."

Reddening the moment Nagumo's hand touched his skin, Suzuno pushed it off and quickly stole back his book. "I was," he answered calmly, "but with the entire orphanage in there the water must be lukewarm at this point. Don't even get me started on the lack of room."

"Yeah, okay, I guess that's kind of a buzzkill," Nagumo admitted with a reluctant pout, "but so is staying here and doing nothing all day."

"I'm content doing 'nothing'," Suzuno answered matter-of-factly. Nagumo frowned at the look in his eyes, which seemed to say: "You should've known this since kindergarten, dumbass." Recently, his friend's behavior had become notably colder. Nagumo knew Suzuno possessed a tough side, but it wasn't until now that it came out on a regular basis. He still remembered him when they met, how he cried hopelessly because he thought his ball would be stuck in a tree forever…

"Yeah—well—" He struggled getting back on track. The pool was pretty much the only valid card he had to play; seeing as Suzuno struck it down in an instant, all he could do at this point was urge. Or bribe him with honesty.

"… I don't like it when you're all alone inside," he said ultimately. "You may be content, but I'm not. You know there's no fun playing alone." When Suzuno opened his mouth, he hastily added: "We don't even need to play! We can just—sit on the back porch or something. Have a drink. That sounds good, right? You'll have some fresh air and get to do nothing at the same time."

Suzuno couldn't help but smile at the dorky grin on his friend's face. Nagumo liked to put up a strong front and rarely expressed his feelings, in spite of his sharp tongue. If there was one person he lowered his guard for, it was him, and this was one of those precious moments. When he entrusted him with sentiments he himself would label 'weak' and 'pathetic', he couldn't help but give in.

"Alright, fine," Suzuno grinned. He put down the book, turned off the fan, and got up on his feet. Then he pressed his finger up the tip of Nagumo's nose. "But only for a little while."

"Ryuuichirou! Give back that ball! Give it—NO, no splashing!" Saginuma had barely barked out one order before having to give another. He shielded his face from Mutou's splash attack, while his partner in crime Segata used this chance to swim off with the beach ball he'd stolen from Miura. Suzuno rolled his eyes as he and Nagumo, seated on the back porch, watched him fail to keep order in the pool.

"Where does he get off ordering them around like that? He's only one year older than us," he scoffed.

Nagumo gulped down the last bit of his drink. "Isn't it obvious? He's head over heels for Hitomiko-san. He tries to be like her as much as possible so she'll like him back."

Suzuno let out a snort. "A wasted effort," he commented, letting his eyes wander to the shallow part of the pool. Most of the kids there were a few years younger and couldn't fully swim yet, but there was one couple of their exact age: Hiroto and Midorikawa. Everyone knew Hiroto was a skilled swimmer, whereas Midorikawa could barely keep himself afloat. That's why the redhead was teaching him, holding him up by the stomach while he nervously did his best to perform an ordinary breaststroke.

Suzuno scoffed once more. Neither he nor Nagumo was the least bit fond of Hiroto. For some reason, he'd been chosen as Father's adoptive son, making him the favorite. He'd get away with anything, but the annoying thing about that was: he didn't even do anything wrong. He was a typical daddy's boy, never making mistakes and clearly sucking up with that disgusting smile of his. All he ever did was remind his siblings that he had something they didn't, and that he was perfect in every way they were not. He had found a real father and sister, whereas most of his fellow orphans had been living aimlessly at this place for years.

That included Suzuno and Nagumo. The redhead had lived here only a little longer, and helped Suzuno make friends when he had a difficult time adjusting. Lips on his glass, Suzuno snuck a peek at his friend through the corners of his eyes. He knew how Nagumo had ended up here, he had told him. The loss of their parents was scarily similar: their dads left so early they could barely remember them, and it was only a year later that their mothers committed suicide, no longer able to carry themselves or their children. Suzuno never told Nagumo this, but he always thought he had had it worse: Suzuno's mother hung herself while he was playing in another room, thus unable to witness her death. While young of age, Suzuno had been able to sense his mother's world-weariness even before that tragic day, and somehow, that weakened the blow of his gruesome discovery. But the death of Nagumo's mother… It happened right before his eyes. He had no idea she was planning to kill herself that evening, when she suddenly suggested they go for a walk. They were just returning home when she stopped on the train tracks he had just crossed, and refused to move when he warned her the crossing gates were coming down. She replied with little more than a smile and the words "I'm sorry." By the time he realized she was planning to let the full-speed train hit her, it was too late.

Suzuno remembered being speechless that day, when Nagumo opened up to him and told him the entire story in confidence. He couldn't understand how he could be so carefree while harbouring that horrible memory, especially so soon after said accident. When Suzuno arrived at Sun Garden, clammed up and traumatized and both unwilling and unable to make friends, Nagumo gave him the impression he'd lived at Sun Garden all his life. He was happy, outgoing, and reckless, exactly like a normal kid. Not a kid that had been mercilessly left behind in this cruel world full of parents who don't truly love their children. That didn't seem to faze or even affect Nagumo in the slightest. He enjoyed his time at the orphanage so much Suzuno wondered if he ever wanted to leave and have parents again. Which had him thinking…

"—not so bad, is it?"

"Huh?" Suzuno snapped up and realized he'd been staring at his feet, completely lost in thought. He met Nagumo's cheerful eyes and stammered: "What?"

"I said: the weather's not so bad, is it?" Nagumo repeated, grinning. "Sure, you looked like you were asleep for a second there, but it's bearable, right?"

"Hm," Suzuno muttered, once again placing his lips on the edge of his glass. He felt a little embarrassed to have pondered their dark past out of the blue. On top of that, he couldn't exactly answer Nagumo truthfully. He wasn't going to melt away, no, but the heat was still hard on him. The sun burned every bit of skin that left the shade and when he eyed the pool once more, he found his sight occasionally blurred. He let out a snicker when he saw Segata hurl his stolen ball right into Saginuma's pointy nose, though. He may not like the taller boy's attitude, but he had to admit scoundrels like Segata asked for it sometimes.

Nagumo snickered himself when an angry Saginuma chased his friend, who fled out of the pool to find a safe hiding spot. Then he got up and walked towards the backdoor. "Be right back, I'm gonna get some more."

"Sure," Suzuno answered, and he watched his friend's back until he rounded a corner. It wasn't the first time he wouldn't avert his gaze before Nagumo disappeared from sight. He was undeniably attached to him, though he was confused in what way. They'd been friends for so long, best friends, even… but Nagumo was the only single person with whom he actually enjoyed sharing body contact, as well as heartfelt conversations about things like the death of their parents. Were those things purely friend-based? They were, right? Suzuno knew their siblings did stuff like that too, like Hiroto and Midorikawa. Those two were always together lately. But when he narrowed it down to just himself and Nagumo, their bond just felt more… special than a simple friendship.

The realization brought him back to the thoughts Nagumo interrupted before. Whether he desired a real family or not, and if he did, whether he would ever be adopted and be taken away from him. Suzuno never really stopped to think of this before, but… the idea basically devastated him. Selfish as it was, he didn't want Nagumo to leave the orphanage, simply because he was afraid to lose him. He wondered if Nagumo felt the same; he'd always been the more carefree one. Suzuno knew he wouldn't just throw away their friendship for new friends, but what choice did he have if he went to live in another town? Another district, even? They would never see each other again. Their bond would shrink and eventually disappear, just like that. As if it had never meant the world to him.

Suzuno was jumping to conclusions, though. He wasn't even sure if Nagumo was waiting to be adopted, and younger children were usually chosen first. As for himself, he didn't want to leave. He'd finally adapted to his new home, and he was happy to live here. He was happy to know his many siblings and hated seeing some of them leave, even though he never showed that publicly. Hitomiko encouraged everyone to be on their 'best behavior' whenever visitors came by, but Suzuno despised the idea of being ripped away from everyone he held dear so much he was willing to shift back to his six-year-old self: quiet, cold, and plain unreachable. The only one who'd ever truly reached him was the redhead pouring his drink inside the house right now. If he didn't have him… he'd definitely want to live here a lot less. He wouldn't see the point after Nagumo's departure.

Suzuno decided he'd ask for Nagumo's opinion once he came back. He put down his glass and lay back on the wooden floor, spreading his arms and enjoying the shade. Or at least trying to. The heat was suddenly getting worse and the porch grew an extra ceiling. Suzuno wanted to sit up, but that was when a sharp pain stung him in the head and he grabbed his face with a groan. This wasn't good. He was getting dizzier and dizzier, and his breathing rapidly escalated. His body was hot, so hot it felt paralyzed. He had to get inside, but what little energy he had was drained in an instant. He couldn't do anything. All he could do was lie there and wish this flaring pain would disappear. It did so only after it pushed him into an uncomfortable unconsciousness and he could barely make out Nagumo's voice that shouted his name from far away.

Suzuno awoke from a horrific nightmare. In his dream, it was even hotter than before, and he was actually starting to melt away. He reached out to Nagumo for help, but the redhead turned his back on him as two strangers appeared by his side and took his hands. "Sorry, you're not my friend anymore," he stated in the least interested way possible. He then walked off with his new family, completely ignoring Suzuno's pleas and screams before he was reduced to nothing more than a puddle.

Suzuno couldn't remember the last time he was this relieved to see his bedroom ceiling. He realized he was lying in bed after having blacked out earlier. He wanted to sit up, but his heavy body forced him back down. It didn't feel like it was on fire anymore, at least. The headache was still there, though, happily stabbing him from the inside.

Suzuno perked up when the door opened and Hitomiko came inside. As soon as she saw he was awake, she rushed over and sat on the chair that had been pulled over to his bed. "How are you feeling?" she asked, and her hand on his humid forehead was enough to establish he had a fever.

"Headache," he muttered weakly. Hitomiko grabbed a glass of water from the nightstand and carefully let him drink. "You suffered a heat stroke," she explained. "Haruya found you on the porch and alarmed me. You've been out for about an hour."

Suzuno's eyes opened a little more at the sound of that name. "Haruya—where is he?"

"I can call him for you. That is, if you're strong enough." When Suzuno gave a mild nod, Hitomiko left the room and Nagumo entered a moment later. He shut the door behind his back, implying she had granted them some privacy.

Not much to Suzuno's surprise, the look on his friend's face screamed nothing but discontentment. His shoulders hung and his lips curved downwards, but what Suzuno noticed the most was the emptiness in his usually fiery eyes. He could see what was coming: he was probably going to rant at him about how stupid he was for not getting inside in time, for not telling him the heat was becoming too much and just sitting there like an idiot, waiting to pass out.

Instead, though, all he did was sit on Hitomiko's chair with his hands in his lap. His frown switched slowly to a pout and Suzuno thought the heat was playing tricks on him again when he said: "I'm sorry." Once he realized those words had actually left his mouth, though, he asked: "Why?"

"You warned me about how you couldn't stand the heat, and I still made you come outside." The tone in his voice bordered on sadness rather than anger, a rare trait. "If I'd just let you be…"

"Stop talking like that." Suzuno wanted to finish his sentence with "you idiot", but then decided he was in no position to start with an attitude. He should at least sit up first. He managed to push himself on his butt, albeit with a visibly concerned Nagumo's help. Then he continued: "It was my own choice to go outside. If I didn't like your idea, I would've said no, you know that. I thought my body could handle it, but then it suddenly overwhelmed me."

"I know, but…" Nagumo's pout grew. He seemed to be bent on taking the blame, which in itself meant a lot to Suzuno. Nagumo usually covered up his sense of guilt by turning the situation around and making it seem like it was all the other person's fault. But not with him. Not when him being hit by a heat stroke worried him this much…

"Haruya…" There was a hint of hesitance in his voice. Suzuno wanted to ask what had been weighing on his mind, but he knew now might not exactly be a good time. Still, the sooner he had Nagumo's answer, the sooner his nerves would be calmed. He hoped the opposite was out of the question.

Since he was still fragile, Suzuno lay back down while keeping his eyes locked with Haruya's. After he answered with a "Yeah?", the teal-eyed boy exhaled a sigh and tried to piece his question together. "Did you—… have you ever thought of… leaving here…?"

Nagumo raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What, like running away? Can't say it didn't cross my mind when Hitomiko-san pushed my buttons a few times, but—"

"No, not that, you idiot." It blurted out before he knew it. "Leaving. Like being adopted. Going to a new place." He swallowed the word 'faraway' in fear of showing his sentimentality too soon. If Nagumo confirmed this dreaded idea now, he had to appear strong and support him and hope he'd find a nice family to live with. That's what a normal, good friend would do, after all. He couldn't ruin Nagumo's hopes by pushing his own selfish desires on him.

Nagumo was quiet for a moment, and the silence exhausted Suzuno even more. Each passing second quickened his heartbeat to a painful extent and made it almost impossible for him to stay calm. The moment Nagumo opened his mouth would decide whether the past six years of friendship had been in vain or not. Whether Suzuno should forget about them, seeing as holding on would only hurt him more.

Then Nagumo shrugged, leaned back in his chair, and answered: "Not really," as if Suzuno had just asked him if he liked cheese. He saw the startled look in his eyes and added: "This is our home now. Sure, I know we won't be livin' here forever, but I sure as hell don't plan to leave y'all for a bunch of strangers. I've got it good here."

Suzuno almost didn't hear everything that came after the words 'our' and 'we'. Nagumo was referring to them as a duo, as one whole. As if he couldn't imagine himself without Suzuno by his side, just like Suzuno couldn't.

"So—" he interrupted himself. The question "So you won't leave me?" was on the tip of his tongue, but just thinking that was embarrassing. He was starting to sound like a clingy girlfriend or something.

"So yeah, you can be sure I'll be stickin' around for a loooong time," Nagumo grinned as he dug his pinky into his ear. "You won't get rid of me that easily."

"Darn," Suzuno grinned back, as if him and Nagumo sticking together could ever pose a problem. His insecurities weren't fully mended yet, though. "What if—what if I get adopted, though?"

Nagumo suddenly looked dangerously angry, freezing his movements in an instant. "Don't even joke like that, Fuusuke. You're not going anywhere; not if I have anything to say about it. I don't care who wants you; I saw you first and that's it. I mean—we're best friends, aren't we? Like I'm ever letting you be taken away. Not on my watch, no way."

Suzuno never expected such a blatant protest. He didn't think he'd wholeheartedly support the idea either, but Nagumo definitely succeeded at making his point. He answered every question Suzuno had: he cherished their friendship, said no to being adopted, and would sure as hell do anything in his power to prevent their separation. At this moment, he could want nothing more.

Relief outweighing the fever for just one second, Suzuno sank into his pillow with a smile. "Thank God," he muttered, only half aware Nagumo most likely heard that.

The redhead lightly tilted his head to the side. "Is that what you were thinking about earlier, on the porch? You seemed to be doin' some heavy thinking, I was planning to ask you about it."

"Ah…" Suzuno was annoyed at his glowing cheeks, which were not solely caused by the fever at this point. There was no reason to be embarrassed now that the answers were out, so he might as well be honest. "Yeah…" he admitted quietly, finally darting his eyes off of Nagumo's face. It came back into view when his friend leaned over him and his closeness practically forced him to make eye contact again.

"You were worried about losing me, huh?" Before a flushing Suzuno could answer, he grinned in satisfaction and continued: "Good to know the sentiment's mutual."

"Mutual…?" Suzuno murmured, but his fretting during the past few minutes had used up all the energy he retained in his sleep. The fever took over again and the pain in his head forced his eyes to shut. He didn't struggle as much as the first time, though. As much as he wished to continue the conversation, his fears were finally calmed, and he allowed himself to get more rest. He knew Nagumo would be there when he woke up, later and tomorrow and next week and the next few decades. Yeah, that sounded good.

Nagumo smiled at his friend's tired face. "I wasn't sure if I could ever forgive you for bailing out on me, but we'll talk about that later." Suzuno's total lack of response made him wonder if he could still hear him. Was he already asleep? Either way, he probably wouldn't speak again for the following hours. Nagumo was fine with that, because that way he would receive no objections when he bent even further down and pressed his lips to his friend's forehead. It was warm and sweaty but hell if he cared. He was just grateful for the opportunity, and secretly hoped Suzuno would grant him more when he was awake. It would be nice if he could display such gestures with his consent, and perhaps even get some in return.

… that was probably wishful thinking on his part, though. For now, Nagumo was content with this little kiss and considered a healthy Suzuno his priority. Life was no fun when he was sick, after all.

"Get better soon, Fuusuke."