Written for a prompt at fic_promptly on Dreamwidth: "Rei/Miku, keeping warm in the Winter", because I wanted to try something a bit more lighthearted.
1
It's a big house with just two people, and it can get pretty cold in winter. Fortunately, Miku has lots of ideas how one can keep warm that don't involve three heaters on full blast in every room.
"You should wear warmer clothes," she says, indicating the sweater and corduroy trousers she's chosen. "I know you don't like them as much, but you'll be warmer."
She embroiders a warm shawl of soft blue wool for Rei to wear around the house. It smells like Miku's room, like vanilla-scented candles and dried tea-leaves, like Miku. Rei can hold it up to her face and breathe in that scent whenever she likes, which goes a long way towards making up for the fact that Miku doesn't wear short skirts any more.
2
"Here you go, Rei," she says, handing over a box that contains a pair of pocket handwarmers. "They were on sale at the supermarket. See, you fill them up with hot water before you go out, and they stay warm for about two hours."
"Not much help if you have to carry shopping bags, though," Rei observes, taking Miku's cold hands between both of hers. "I guess you need someone to warm you up."
Miku opens her mouth as if to speak, and Rei thinks a faint blush rises to her cheeks, but her face is already pink with cold, which makes it hard to tell. "I guess I do," she says at last, and lets Rei rub the warmth back in.
3
There's a knock at the dark-room door, and Rei covers the developing pictures with a cloth before going to open it. Miku comes in, and passes Rei a mug of hot tea.
"I thought you might be cold," she says. "This side gets northern exposure, and the wind is terrible."
"Thanks. You're so thoughtful." Rei holds the cup against her mouth and inhales the fragrant steam. "Want to have a look at the photos we did for that article? Some of the ones you took are really good! I think I'm going to submit them along with mine."
Miku goes over to look, exclaiming over how well they've come out. Rei sips her tea and wonders if Miku's also noticing how little space there is in here, how close they have to stand.
4
"You see, if we both try and use the one room, we can heat it up more efficiently," Miku says. Rei doesn't point out that heating the huge living room with its high ceiling probably takes much more energy than two small bedrooms. She likes spending time together, reading on the sofa while Miku makes dinner, watching TV while Miku works on her scrapbook, or just chatting – about life, about work, about the weather, about everything. She likes being able to look up and see Miku right there. She likes noticing that, more often than not, Miku is already looking at her.
5
Perhaps because the living room is too big to heat easily, Rei starts feeling cold after night falls that afternoon. Or perhaps it's just the howl of the wind and the sandy patter of snow hitting the windows that makes her shiver.
After a minute, Miku gets up and comes back with a thick red blanket, big enough to cover both of them.
"It's getting chilly in here," she says. "I thought... if you don't mind..."
Grinning, Rei pats the cushion beside her. "That sounds cosy. Why would I mind?"
With the blanket tucked in around elbows and feet, and with Miku's left side soft against Rei's right, the word comes back to her: cosy. It's so warm and peaceful that Rei starts nodding off in front of the television, and wakes to find her head against Miku's shoulder and some mindless variety show on the screen.
"Why didn't you change the channel?" she asks muzzily. "I thought you hated this rubbish."
"The remote's on the table, and I didn't want to wake you. You seemed so comfortable."
"I was." Rei snuggles up against Miku again, too sleepy to bother with shyness. "You're the warmest person in the world." Her hand finds Miku's under the blanket. A news report comes on, saying this will be the coldest night of the year. Rei drifts off again, the reporter's professionally concerned voice in her ears and Miku's hand in hers, holding hard.
6: In Case of Emergency
That night she tells herself it's time to be courageous, take the plunge, but she just can't seem to come up with a good excuse to go to Miku's room. She's still thinking about it when her own door opens a crack and Miku peers in.
"It's starting to get really cold," she says by way of apology, shivering in her pyjamas and bare feet. "I didn't like to leave the heater on all night, so I thought..."
"That would be more economical," Rei agrees, scooting over against the wall to make room. "Get in."
Miku does, and they lie in silence for a while. Rei is wide awake, and she guesses Miku is too. She's just wondering if she dares take Miku's hand again, when Miku moves, pressing up against Rei's side. "I'm still cold," she says in a whisper that tickles Rei's neck. "Maybe we should get closer."
"Maybe," Rei says, though she isn't cold at all, not any more. She slips her arm around Miku and turns her head to ask if that's okay, and somehow finds Miku's mouth under hers, something between a kiss and a bump. She inhales, tensing for rejection, but Miku only wriggles closer, her hand resting on Rei's stomach. That isn't cold either, but Rei doesn't comment. One has to make allowances, after all, on the coldest night of the year.