Chapter: No chapters, short story.

Pairing: Aoi x ?

Bands: Aoi from Ayabie

Rated: T

Frosty fingertips

He was late.

The big clock on the tower a few blocks away showed 21:15. He'd said that he'd be there around 19:30. He'd said over and over that they would meet on the middle platform on the left side of the trainstation. He'd promised that he'd be there. He'd laughed and said that he'd fly off the train and bring kisses and presents, make up for the time he'd been away. That he couldn't wait.

But apparently he could wait. Because one hour and forty-five minutes after the decided time, the only one standing there on the platform was Aoi.

He was wearing so many clothes he could hardly move. A thick sweater, a big scarf. His big, military green jacket. No gloves, but he wore woollen tights under his jeans. He'd thought they'd be able to save him from the cold, and now he felt extremely stupid. There wasn't a part of him that didn't tremble as he stood there with his numb hands shoved deep in his pockets, staring blankly down the track where train after train passed without dropping off the right person.

His right hand squeezed hard around the slim square of cold plastic he so often found himself glued to. It hadn't made a sound or a movement all evening. Yet he felt like he needed to pick it up again and look at the screen, just to feel a jolt of disappointment and worry run through him. No new messages, no missed calls.

Sigh. With his teeth in his bottom lip, he pressed a few buttons and put the phone to his ear. He looked down at the ground as he waited for a signal. A thick blanket of snow hid him up to his ankles. He pouted and kicked it off, while gazing up at the dark sky with crinkled eyebrows. White chunks of icy crystals immediately melted against his cheeks, to his big surprise.

He hadn't even realized it was snowing.

The number you have dialled cannot be reached at the moment. Please leave your name and phonenumber after the-

Aoi hung up the phone with a loud grunt. This was just great. A perfect end to the perfect day. He hated himself for feeling so disappointed. Something could be wrong, something could be stopping the train, or whatever. Either way, there was nothing he could do about it. Anything could happen in this weather. He knew he should throw away the two cups of previously warm coffee he'd brought with him and go home and sulk with a cup of tea. At least he'd be warm while waiting for a hell of an excuse.

But he couldn't move. Both because he was so cold he might as well be attached to the ground, and because he had promised he'd be there. He didn't want to break that promise. Even if it meant he'd have to go home alone in the morning anyway.

He wished that he wouldn't have to, though. His bed had been so cold and lonely, for two whole weeks. It could be enough now.

A violent shiver ran down his spine as a flake of snow suddenly crept down his neck, invading the warmth of his thick jacket. He drew his hood over his head, just as the bright light from another train lit up the entire station. His eyes opened wide in hope. Then it died again as the train didn't even stop at the station. One of those express-trains. Now he was beginning to get really worried. Where the hell was that train? What if it never came?

What if something had really happened?

21:30. Aoi was still determined to wait. He stood frozen there on the platform, listening to the distant sounds of cars that only barely covered up the sound of calls and messages that didn't come, while the snow silently piled up around his ankles.

21:45. Aoi swallowed down his worry. Soon. If he only waited a little longer, he could relax. 21:50. 22:00. Still no phonecall. It was shitty not to call when being so late. That dumb, dumb idiot. He would have to make up for it. 22:15. Just a few minutes longer.

22:30. A warm pressure was building up behind Aoi's cold eyes. As a new train stopped at the station and dropped off some passengers, he grabbed the little bag from Starbuck's and began to walk away through the deep snow.

He wanted to cry so badly at the moment. All these images were running through his head like a movie. A train slipping on the ice and rolling off the track. Frozen people crawling through the snow, crying for help. That same train flying off a white bridge, breaking the ice covering a lake and then turning into bubbles as it disappeared down in the deep darkness. It seemed so possible. The stories were all over the news this time of the year. Trains couldn't handle snow, everyone knew that.

But he didn't want to think about it. He'd rather be mad than worried.

Once his feet touched the street, Aoi walked up to a trashcan. He picked up the frozen chunks of coffee and looked at them with a lopsided smile before he tossed them away. Then he shoved his hands back in his pockets and walked toward the subway. There was no way he could get a cab at this hour, he knew that. He even considered walking the whole way home.

Just as he saw the comforting lights of the subway-station, a maniac covered in heavy clothes came rushing by him. He just made it a few steps before the trunk he carried with him seemed to get out of control, and the ice underneath his feet sent him flying through the air with a loud shriek.

"Woa! Are you okay?" Aoi panicked and rushed up to the whining lump of clothes, offering his hand. "Here, let me help you get up"

"Thank you, thank you… It's icy, ne!"

Aoi wrinkled his eyebrows as the hooded figure grabbed his hand and slowly got back on his feet. As they stood face to face, a pair of brown eyes immediately squinted at Aoi. They both stayed silent, staring at each other. Then a gloved hand grabbed Aoi's hood and pulled it back, revealing him in the yellow light of a lightpole. The squint on the other's face turned into a laugh. A flood of happiness and confusion swept over Aoi. Yumehito more or less threw himself over him, wrapping his arms tightly around his shivering body. He wasn't really sure what to do with himself.

"Ao-chan!" Yumehito purred against Aoi's neck before he let go, still holding onto his shoulders. "Why the hell are you still here? Are you stupid?"

"I just… I don't know" Aoi smiled, scratching the back of his head.

"Well I'm glad, but I really didn't expect you to… my phone died and everything, and I'm like four hours late… I'm sorry… Are you okay? You look kind of… blue" Yumehito ranted on. "You must be freezing!"

Aoi just nodded, shrugging his shoulders. He was a bit shocked. He didn't really know if he wanted to kiss Yumehito or punch him in the face. Punch him for not borrowing a phone, kiss him for not being dead in a pile of snow somewhere.

"Good. I'm okay too. The train was really cold though, we were stuck in the middle of nowhere for hours and then when it finally moved the heat didn't… work…" Yumehito silenced as he noticed the suspicious, silent glare Aoi was giving him. He let go of Aoi's shoulders. "What…?"

Yumehito's eyes grew, making him look like a sad little puppy. Aoi stared at him for a few seconds.

Then he gave in, just for the moment. Didn't want to be that guy.

"Nothing. I'm just… cold"

"Yeah, I figured. Here" Yumehito smiled. He grabbed the zipper scratching against Aoi's chin, opened his big jacket and carefully slipped his arms around his waist, wrapping his arms around him so tightly it was hard to breathe. Rocking them both childishly from side to side while Aoi buried his smiling face in Yumehito's neck. "Warmer?"

Aoi pressed a kiss on one of Yumehito's birthmarks instead of saying anything. He was still confused. Felt just a little bit like using his fists, even though he couldn't stop smiling. He would need to hear the whole story before he could be completely fine with what he'd been put through this night. It was hard to think about it when Yumehito put his lips against his ear, though, whispering:

"I'm so glad you're still here. I've missed you so much"

That was good enough. Aoi didn't need to hear anything else. He didn't want to hear anything else.

"I've missed you too" he whispered back.