It was New Year's Eve. And he was all alone. Tetsuhiro flopped on the bed, staring at the blank white ceiling of his temporary residence in Hamamatsu. He had planned to leave for the train station as soon as his work was done, and see his beloved senpai before the other went to spend his New Year's Day with his family. Tetsuhiro hadn't heard anything about Senpai's father, but his brother, Tomoe-san, was supposed be come over from the States for a week. Even with their family house gone, the Tatsumi family was going to be able to spend the beginning of the New Year amongst each other.

Tetsuhiro, on the other hand, had no such plans. He hadn't talked to his parents in years, and Nii-san was most likely going to spend the New Year working, or with Masaki-san. But he didn't mind, as long as he got to see his senpai, even just a little, he'd be happy.

However, his plan was ruined. With so many employees taking the afternoon off before the New Year, there were very little people left to finish the required work. Most businesses were closed the first three days of January, and S-Pharmaceuticals were no different. If Tetsuhiro ever wanted to have his way and work for the Nagoya branch, he needed to be on his top behavior and be the best employee the company has ever seen. Sure, he wasn't quite an employee yet, but if he ever wanted to be, he couldn't slack off. Therefore, he was forced to stay late… really late, and help finish all of the work. He glanced at the clock sitting on the night stand. It displayed 11:15. It was too late. There was no way that the Tokaido Main Line would still be running at this hour. Even if he went by Shinkansen, he wouldn't have been able to make it to the station on time for the last train to Nagoya. He was stuck there until the morning. Just my luck! Tetsuhiro closed his eyes, feeling miserable. I hate my life…

Tetsuhiro was jolted into awareness; his telephone violently vibrated in his left pant pocket. His heart leapt in his chest. Maybe it's Senpai! Digging it out as quickly as his clumsy fingers allowed, he stared at the caller ID flashing on the screen. His mood deflated. It wasn't Senpai. In fact, he didn't recognize the number. With a sigh, he picked up the call, bringing the cell phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey! Morinaga-san."

"It's too bad that Tomoe-nii-san won't be getting here until tomorrow." Kanako said with a sigh. "It would have been nice to see him tonight." The two siblings were sitting on the couches in the living room of the Matsuda residence. Matsuda-san was in the kitchen.

"Yah… If he would have left earlier, he'd be here by now." Souichi sat on the couch located directly in front of the television, slightly leaning against the armrest, with his arms crossed over his chest.

"But that's not his fault! He said he had work! And besides, apparently his plane got delayed because of a storm." Kanako countered. "He can't very well control the weather, can he?" Souichi stared at his little sister. She sat all prettily on the other couch, which was set a little to the side, covering the distance between him and the TV. He swore she was getting cheekier every day.

"Well, if he wanted to be here, he'd be here by now. That stupid asshole Kurokawa is probably keeping him hostage over there. He's probably even brainwashing him into not coming." Souichi's eyes narrowed into slits as his delusions took the better of him.

"Nii-san~! Don't say stuff like that! You know it isn't true!"

"As far as we know it might be true! Besides, he's a homo! A damn demon – Satan's personal minion – who seduced Tomoe against his will. He can't be trusted… And to top it off, he's probably doing it on purpose just to torture me!" Souichi was fuming. He couldn't understand why no one else saw this. Everyone's better judgment was flawed – except his, of course. Regardless, there was no way he'd let Kurokawa get away with it.

"Nii-san… Please don't be like that. It is bad luck to act so negatively before the New Year." Kanako tried pleading with her brother. He really could be unreasonable sometimes.

"Here we are. I've got snacks for everyone." Matsuda-san strolled in holding a large tray of assorted food, effectively cutting off Souichi's next tirade of insults. She set the tray on the square coffee table situated in front of the couches.

"Thanks auntie Matsuda! It looks delicious!" Kanako excitedly grabbed something from the beautifully arranged assortment of food, content with the simplest things. Sitting next to Kanako, Mastuda picked a snack for herself. Before eating it, though, her head perked up, her gaze roaming the room for the nearest clock.

"What time is it?" Glancing up to the TV screen where a small timer, counting down to the New Year, was displayed on the top corner, Souichi answered grimly.

"There's only half an hour before midnight." Only half an hour. There wasn't much time before the New Year. Minus the fact that Tomoe wasn't there yet – most likely glued to that damn Kurokawa – and that his father wasn't coming back for a while – lost in a remote jungle god-knows-where – at least he was spending the beginning of the New Year with his little sister and Matsuda-san. At least he had family he could be with. There were some people who didn't have any family to spend the New Year's… like Morinaga. Souichi felt a pang in his chest. It wasn't fair for anyone to be alone this time of year. Maybe I should invite him over when he gets back home…

"Hey Nii-san, what's the most important thing that happened to you this year?" Souichi jumped slightly, startled out of his thoughts. Gazing up, he saw that Kanako was staring at him with an intense look in her eyes.

"What? The most important thing?" The image of Morinaga popped up in his mind. He shook his head to clear it away. "… I don't know… I did get to complete some major research at the University." He didn't know what to reply. There was so much that happened. How could he choose?

"Come on! There has to be something better… more significant that happened! How about this: what was your favorite thing that happened this past year?" That was another question that caught him off guard. Souichi hadn't really thought about it. Before he could answer, Kanako jumped in and provided her own opinion. But upon further reflection, she added another. Pondering some more, she didn't stop at that; she kept on going, naming almost every wonderful occurrence, according to her, that happened. Matsuda-san ended up jumping into the conversation a few times. The more they talked about it, the more Souichi thought more seriously about the question. What was the most important thing that happened to me this year? Which one would be my favorite? And before he knew it, the TV was displaying the 30 second countdown.

"There's only 20 seconds left!" Kanako squealed in delight. She counted down with the timer. 15… 10… 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Happy New Year! The people displayed on television shouted and cheered. After giving his New Year greetings, Souichi turned towards his sister.

"Alright. I guess it's about time we'd get ready to go out. Make sure you dress warmly, it's going to be pretty cold." Kanako simply stared up at him in surprise. "What?" Why did it seem that she knew something he didn't?

"Nii-san, I told you that I wasn't going out tonight. I'm having friends over."

"… What?! You never told me that!" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. When did this happen?

"Of course I did! I told you two days ago! You probably weren't paying any attention again!" Kanako looked up at him in slight disbelief and disappointment.

"I was really busy the last few days. You should have made sure I was listening." It wasn't Souichi's fault that he had too much on his mind. With the school being closed for a few days during the New Year's celebration, he had to get a whole lot done before he'd be happy to leave his experiments for more than a day.

"I did! You said it was ok." Her older brother really could be absent minded sometimes. It was incredible how he could pay the utmost attention to the smallest detail when it came to certain things, like his research, but could be totally oblivious when it came to others.

"Well it's not! It's tradition that we go out to see the hatsu-hinode."

"I am going to see the New Year's first sunrise, but I'm not going to go all the way up to that hill. You can go if you want to, but Dad and Tomoe-nii-san aren't here. So I figured it'd be ok if I invited some friends over and see it with them. Right, auntie Matsuda?"

"Of course it's alright, Kanako-chan. I'm not as young as I used to be, so I'll be staying here until the sun rises. And it's always nice to have people over. You can feel free to stay too, Souichi-kun."

Souichi couldn't believe his ears. He felt like he was being betrayed by his own family.

He let his long legs carry him. Long strides brought him ever closer to his destination. The sound of his footsteps echoed off of nearby buildings. It was a little cool outside. During the day, the temperature had risen to around 11 degrees Celsius; typical for this time of year. Souichi let out a sigh. And it's only going to get colder. The weather network had announced that the temperature would go down to about 5 degrees overnight, which was also quite typical. Just above freezing. However, with the wind, it's bound to feel much colder. The University Ph.D. student couldn't help the slight shiver that travelled through his arms and up his spine. It's not even that cold and I'm already missing being inside in the warmth. Why am I so sensitive to the cold lately? Am I getting sick? … That would be a nuisance. He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep them warm. That's when he realised, too late, that he hadn't gotten new gloves to replace the last pair he lost on Christmas Eve. Thoughts of that night brought on memories of Morinaga. I wonder what he's up to.

Souichi had gotten a text mentioning the possibility of his kouhai having to spend the night in Hamamatsu, since the idiot managed to miss the train. Stupid… Knowing him, he probably thinks it's the end of the world. He really can be an idiot sometimes. It's only one night. He really should get a grip on reality. If he had read the text out loud, it would have sounded pitiful. There was no doubt. That certainly sounded like Morinaga. A thought dawned on him. Souichi realized that he hadn't responded to his kouhai's last text. He had gotten sidetracked by his sister's exasperated plea. She had needed his assistance for… something he didn't care to recall at the moment. Morinaga would most likely be freaking out right now, or be utterly depressed by his senpai's lack of response. He searched his pants' pockets, where he usually stored his cell phone. But it wasn't there. The blonde haired man thought back, searching his memories. He remembered reading the text and… had distractedly set it on the counter… and left it there. This time his sigh was one of frustration. He really couldn't think straight lately. As pissed as he was, he had left it behind in his haste.

All Souichi wanted to do was to follow the tradition his family had since he could remember. However, apparently he was the only one. Not eager to be surrounded by young teenage girls, he grabbed his coat and flew out of the door, his state of mind a whirl.

It's always been a tradition for us. We would sit together, as a family, and watch the first sunrise. Memories of going to watch the first sunrise of the year with his whole family, his mother included, surfaced in his mind. Those memories were few, but he did remember. Even after she passed away, they kept the tradition. It was one of the ways to celebrate something with her, even if she wasn't around. Every year, they would travel together to this secluded hill, their very own secret meeting place. It had a great view of the eastern horizon, overlooking the city and landscape beyond. No one else ever came here. They would sit beneath this one tree, huddled together, and tell stories until the sun rose.

Souichi breathed a little more heavily as he climbed up the small hill, the cool air burning his throat. He easily spotted the lone maple tree at the top of the hill. He sat beneath the long bare branches. The ground was cold beneath him. Still fuming, he stared out into nothingness. Moments passed before he finally looked down, releasing his frustration with a long defeated sigh.

Hmmm… I guess it really shows that we're all moving on. Tomoe's in the States. Kanako has started to make plans for her own life. Dad's naturally off exploring distant lands around the world. Souichi repositioned himself on the cold ground, brooding. He had his hands under his arms to try to keep them warm. But it's New Year's Eve! We're supposed to start it off together, as a family. So why am I here all alone? Usually he would love to be left alone. That's how he got stuff done, no one in the way to bother or disturb him.

But my family's always been there… They're the only people I can rely on, other than when they're being ridiculous and unreasonable. Why am I the only one with a functioning head on my shoulders? They've all let troublesome things cloud their judgment. Well, for Tomoe that's understandable. He's always been stuck in the clouds. For Dad, his passion for insects has dragged him god knows where against any logical reason. Then there's Kanako. She's surprisingly, uncannily perceptive. It's sometimes quite scary how accurate her deductions can be. The wind picked up. Souichi shivered. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. It was the warmest place he could find. That simple action reminded him of last week; when Morinaga took his hand to keep it warm. It was Christmas Eve.

Hmm… That's right. My family aren't the only ones that stay by my side. Morinaga really does stick to me, doesn't he? He heard footsteps coming up the nearby road. At times, he does tend to stick to me quite literally, especially when I don't want him to. He really can be an absolute idiot at times. The freezing wind blew right through him, chilling Souichi to the bone. Maybe he should have thought things through before leaving Matsuda's place. At the very least, he should have dressed warmer or brought a blanket with him. But the smartest thing would have been to wait a little longer before heading out. That way he wouldn't be stuck waiting out here in the cold for hours before the sun came up.

With no phone, or watch on him, Souichi had no way to tell how long he's been sitting out here, in the cold. The walk itself took a long time to travel. Since the sky was still just as dark as before, he knew that the sunrise was still quite a while away. Another shiver traveled through him. His bottom lip started to tremble, his teeth clattered. Suddenly, he heard a rustling coming from somewhere behind him. He nearly jumped.

"Ah, Senpai! I found you." Startled, Souichi spun around on his spot. Morinaga was standing there, a few feet from him, a rolled blanket tucked beneath one arm, a cylinder in the opposite hand. Before the blonde had the time to get up, his kouhai came to kneel next to him.

"Morinaga? What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be out of town until the morning." Souichi gave his roommate a perplexed look.

"Ah. Yes I was supposed to, but something wonderful happened. A co-worker of mine drove me here! He originally had planned to drive down on New Year's Day, but he had a change of plans. So since he knew I was coming down too, he called me to see if I wanted to go with him! This way we were able to split the price of gas, and I didn't need to wait until morning before coming back home." In the dim light of a nearby streetlight, Souichi was still able to see that radiant smile on his kouhai's face.

"Ah… Well… Welcome back." Souichi was dumbstruck. If he thought Morinaga couldn't get any happier, he'd be absolutely wrong. You'd think he actually went ahead and said he loved the big idiot. Those olive green eyes softened while his whole presence seemed to be radiating pure joy.

"Thank you, Senpai! It's good to be back." Before his kouhai went ahead and did something stupid, Souichi came up with another question.

"Wait… How did you find me?"

"Well… when I got home, naturally I figured you'd be at Matsuda's since you weren't there. So, instead of showing up uninvited, I decided to call you, just to let you know I was back. What I didn't expect was for Kanako-chan to answer instead. She told me where you were and gave me directions to get here." Morinaga inched closer. Souichi stared off in the distance.

"Of course she did." He mumbled those words as he tried to suppress another shiver.

"Because you didn't have your phone on you, I was afraid to not find you, and hoped you were still here… But, I was able to grab a few things before leaving. So here I am." Morinaga smiled proudly, displaying the objects he held in his arms. Souichi could now tell that the cylinder was, in fact, a thermos. With no idea what may lay inside, it was that fleece blanket that drew his attention. It was black in colour, or near it since was too dark to decipher its exact shade. It looked really warm and inviting. A strong gust of wind blew right through the two men, causing the blonde to shudder uncontrollably. Before he realised it, a warm palm was gently pressed against his cheek cold.

"Senpai, you're freezing." Souichi stayed silent, unable to deny it, with his bottom lip shivering next to that warm hand.

"Here. Come closer to the tree. The trunk will be able to block some of the wind." Morinaga went to set the thermos beside the tree. After a few seconds of hesitation, the blonde decided to do as he was told, seeing only benefits from following his kouhai's order. His back turned towards the tree, he crept towards it. However, before he could reach the trunk, Morinaga slid in the space right behind his senpai. The large blanket draped around his shoulders, he pulled his senpai against his chest. With his arms wrapped around him, the soft blanket enveloped both men within it, covering their legs. Feeling those arms wound around his body, trapping his arms to his side, Souichi automatically started to struggle.

"Wha- Morinaga! What are you-…"

"Shhhh… It's alright, Senpai. I won't do anything." Morinaga tried to calm his aggressive tyrant. The other gave a half-hearted struggle, more out of surprise than anything else.

"That's not the point!" Strong arms held him in place, unwilling to let him leave.

"Don't worry, Senpai. No one will see us here." Quickly scanning their surroundings, Souichi confirmed that they were, in fact, the only people in the vicinity. After a few moments, he let out an irritated sigh, settling within his kouhai's arms.

"But why like this? Couldn't we just as well sit side by side?" Morinaga had his senpai sitting between his legs, hugging the other's back to his chest.

"But Senpai, I only have one blanket, and you're freezing. This way, I can also keep you warm." Souichi felt a blush tinting his cheeks. Of course that idiot would take pleasure in their close proximity. In an attempt to speed up the warming up process, his roommate's hands started to rub his arms, creating some more heat due to the friction. Souichi simply sat there, unable to escape or find a reason to make his kouhai stop. Especially with his whole body still shivering from the cold and harsh wind, the added warmth was very much appreciated.

"What time is it?" With no way to tell time, the blonde had gotten curious, wondering how long he'd have to stay like this.

"It's a bit past 2 o'clock."

"Hmmm…. The sun rises at 7:01. There's still just under five hours left." Crap. Looks like we'll be stuck like this for a while… Souichi felt Morinaga hug him tenderly. Surprisingly, he did not dislike being in his kouhai's arms. Somehow, Morinaga's hold on him did not feel restrained or suffocating. He simply hugged him, wrapping him in a protective embrace. Well… I guess it could be worse. At least I'm no longer freezing. A gust of wind ruffled his hair. Ducking down, he hid part of his face beneath the blanket.

"Here, give me your hand." Gently, Morinaga grabbed a hand within both of his. Cradling it, he softly rubbed it. After a while, he replaced the one hand with the other, giving it the same attention. Souichi simply sat there. While his kouhai leaned against the tree, he leaned against that firm chest. He marveled in the feeling of the warmth seeping from his kouhai's hands to his own, the sensation returning to his numb fingers. Once done, his dark-haired friend seemed to have had an idea.

"Senpai, would you like some coffee?" Without awaiting a response, Morinaga slid his hand beneath the blanket, reaching for the thermos. Once back within the blanket's walls, he pulled the cap off. Beneath it was a lid. Flipping the cap upside down, it became a perfect little cup. Twisting the lid off, Morinaga poured some of the dark liquid contained within into the cap. He passed the cup of coffee to the man watching him work before retrieving another little cup from his coat pocket. Surprisingly, he did all this with his senpai in his arms. While his kouhai poured himself a cup, Souichi smelled the delicious aroma only great coffee on a winter night can provide. They drank their cup of coffee in comfortable silence, huddled together beneath the fleece blanket. Their combined body heat soon made the space beneath the blanket nice and warm. Once they were done, their empty cups set aside, Morinaga suddenly had the urge to hear his senpai's voice again. Even though it's only been a week, he really missed the man now sitting peacefully in his arms. He wanted to hear absolutely everything on his love's mind.

"So how was your week? What did I miss?"

"Hmmm… Let's see." Souichi pondered on this for a bit. They began discussing in length the events of their week apart. Soon, they were jumping subjects, from the ins and outs of Souichi's current research, to the imminent arrival of his little brother, to topic of a recent documentary Morinaga saw the other day on the television. As his kouhai chatted on, Souichi could feel sleep tugging at his eyelids, his consciousness slowly slipping. Regardless of the added caffeine in his system, amber eyes slowly slid closed. Leaning his head against a sturdy shoulder, he felt the rhythmic rise and fall of Morinaga's chest. It was incredibly soothing. Content, he fell asleep. He was in a complete sense of relaxation, safe wrapped in the arms of his dearest friend.

Distantly, a voice called out. Warmth surrounded him like a cocoon. Someone was shaking him.

"… pai… Senpai..." He shifted slightly. Cool air caressed his face. Amber eyes opened sluggishly.

"Wake up. The sun is about to rise." Peering over the navy-blue fleece blanket, Souichi saw that the inky black sky had faded to a light pink. A strand of orange-yellow outlined the horizon. The sun was bound to crest at any moment.

"You should have woken me up."

"Why would I have done that?" Morinaga hugged him closer to his chest.

"I got to spend the night with you in my arms." Those words were whispered sensually into his ear.

"Baka! Don't say such embarrassing shit." Souichi spin his head to face the other. Too late he realized their close proximity, feeling his kouhai's breath on his face. He felt his cheeks heat up. He hoped his blush wouldn't be too apparent. A gentle hand came up, cupping his face.

"But you're so adorable when you're embarrassed." Morinaga's face was so close. Their lips were almost touching.

"Hhhhggh…" Air came whooshing out of Morinaga's lungs. Souichi had elbowed him in his chest.

"I told you to shut up, Baka! That's what you get." Souichi squirmed out of his kouhai's hold.

"… Sorry…" Morinaga managed to utter that one word as he struggled to breathe. He should have known better than to tease his senpai. Straightening himself, the dark-haired student clutched his stomach with one hand. Looking out, his eyes brightened.

"Look, Senpai. The sun is coming up." Turning around, Souichi saw the first bit of sun rise above the horizon. Soon, that sliver of light turned into an orange sphere. Caught off guard, he felt a pair of arms snake around his torso. Tensing up, he froze in Morinaga's embrace. After a few moments, when the idiot didn't do anything else, the blond slowly allowed himself to relax. Feeling a warm firm chest behind him, and strong arm hanging loosely around his waist, he deemed the threat minimal. Knowing better than to stare directly at the sun for a long period of time, Souichi allowed his gaze to wonder, eyes scanning their surroundings. He really enjoyed seeing the landscape before him light up with the sun's rays. Slowly, he leaned back, sinking in the warmth that surrounded him. Tentatively, warm hands came up to touch his. Unsure of his senpai's reaction, Morinaga moved slowly. When nothing happened, he intertwined their fingers together. Souichi was amazed by how naturally and comfortably his hand fit in his roommate's. The next moment, he felt lips on his scalp. Morinaga kissed the side of his head before he murmured softly into his ear.

"Happy New Year, Senpai." Souichi's cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink. Keeping his gaze away from his embarrassing kouhai, he eventually found his voice.

"… Happy New Year, Morinaga."

Who knew what the New Year held in store. There were so many possibilities, so many new adventures to be had, and so many new things to discover. Both Tetsuhiro and Souichi gazed ahead, looking forward to what the new day might bring.

Happy New Year everyone!

… I wanted to post this last night, but oh well.

I hope you enjoyed this one. :3

This was a long time in the making. I had started it last year, but was unable to finish it before the New Year. So I sat on it, half done, until now.

I'm thinking of eventually adding more to this story since there are quite a few scenes I want to write, and think they could fit nicely in this storyline. I'm quite excited and looking forward to be writing more, but with my other ones still ongoing, I'm not too sure which will come first.

Anyways, as always, please let me know what you think and if you liked it (or not :P). I love feedback and comments, of all shapes and sizes, so don't be shy. ;) As long as people keep reading my stories, I'll try to keep writing for all of you awesome people. :D

Hopefully, over time my writing style will keep on improving, and my story making ability will – for lack of better words at this time of night – keep on getting better. :)

Thank you all for reading, favoriting and following my stories!

Well… that's enough rambling on my end.

Until next time!

- Getsuei