~Disclaimer: I don't own these sweet and innocent characters that we've all come to shape and mold like clay... but, as always, they don't belong to me. Just have fun reading and enjoy the moment.

~*~

Sage sprinted down his driveway and into the darkened path leading into the woods, tears streaming down his face. The snow was cold as it stung his wet cheeks, but Sage didn't care. He didn't care that he was two feet deep in snow. He just didn't care anymore.

Ryo gazed out the window, his own tears welling up his eyes so much that all he could see was blotches of color. He pressed his palm against the cold windowpane, a shiver coasting down his spine, and burst into a storm of tears.

Mia was crunched between Kento's strong arms, embracing her in the tightest bear hug. She didn't care though. But it was only a small comfort in her overwhelming depression.

Cye was rocking back and forth in the rocking chair, taking deep breaths, the phone still in his trembling hand. He was so crushed that he didn't even pick up the dead tone of the receiver. "Rowen... gone? No. It can't be."

-~-~*~-~-

Sage came to a shivering holt as he stood before the ice coated lake. He wanted so much to bring Rowen back. He wanted it so much that he would take his own life to bring him back. Sage blinked away the last of his tears as he sat himself down on the dock. "Why, Rowen? Why now!?" Sage dropped his weary eyes down to the lake's surface. He grabbed his knees and pulled them up to his chest.

"ROWEN!" He screamed, breaking down into tears, "ROWEN! COME BACK, DAMMIT! I FUCKING LOVED YOU SO MUCH!" Sage started rocking himself back and forth, "so... much..."

He stopped and looked at the water again. Biting his lip, he pressed his foot against the surface, breaking through. "Rowen..." he whispered, leaning forward off the dock. "I loved you so much, so much..." Sage took one last sigh before he closed his eyes and slipped off the dock.

As his body smacked against the ice cold water, he instantly drifted off to a state of shock. His memory flew through his head....

:~*~*~*~:

Rowen sighed with a small smile as he pulled into Sage's driveway, turning off the ignition and getting out of his car. He didn't even take two steps when Sage came flying out of the front door.

Sage walked up to him, shot him a teasing smile, and licked his smooth lips. Then he grabbed Rowen's arms, pulling him into a tight hug.

"Gods, Sage," Rowen whispered in his ear, "I missed you."

Sage tauntingly bit Rowen's ear, "I missed you too, Love."

Rowen pulled away slightly and looked in Sage's violet eyes. "You know that I can only stay for a week..."

Sage leaned in and softly brushed Rowen's nose with his own, "Then we'll just have to make every day count."

Rowen smiled softly as his lips gently met Sage's. He brought his hand up behind Sage's head and playfully tugged at his blonde hair.

As they pulled away, Sage bit his bottom lip and brushed the side of Rowen's face. "Why do you always taste like peppermints?"

Rowen laughed and stuck out his tongue, showing what was left of his mint. Sage chuckled and bit his tongue, taking the mint into his mouth.

Rowen gave a surprised sigh and bit Sage's lip in return.

"Mmm, my mint now."

Rowen laughed and pushed Sage's shoulder as they walked towards the house, stomping their feet through the snow.

They walked through the front door, Rowen greeted by three other 'hello's' and 'what's up'. Rowen gave Ryo, Cye, and Kento all hugs.

"So how's school going, Ro?" Kento asked, smacking him on the shoulder.

Rowen smiled, rubbing his arm, "It's going rather well. I'm about two months away from my Master's degree."

Sage smiled in slight surprise. "Wow."

"But you're on this break, so it'll give you some time to relax before finals though, right?" Ryo asked, biting his bottom lip as he slipped a smile.

Rowen nodded, "Yeah. But that's also why I can't stay longer. I gotta get back and start studying again," he said with a small sigh.

"Oh come on, Ro! You can stay as long as you want!" Sage shouted, "You know I wouldn't mind."

Rowen ran his tongue along his bottom lip, grinning. "Yeah, I could..."

Cye shook his head, groaning. "Rowen, you can't just throw your degree away! I'd rather see you get this all over with, THEN come back to us."

Ryo and Kento nodded in agreement.

Rowen chuckled. "Yeah, you do have a point. But I promise all of you, that the minute I receive

my Master's, I WILL be here."

Everyone smiled.

Sage grabbed Rowen's hand and gave it a quick squeeze. "Alright. But NOW can I show you my present?"

"SAGE! Christmas is two days away!" Cye yelled, shaking a finger at him. "Can't it wait?"

"No, you know that he's going to see it anyways."

Rowen shifted an eyebrow, "What is going on?"

"Just follow me, Ro." Sage started walking towards the stairwell, his hips shaking in a sexy gesture as he pointed at him to follow.

Rowen smiled softly as he chuckled, following Sage towards the staircase and up the railing. Sage kept at a faster pace, making sure Rowen's long legged strides couldn't catch him.

Sage finally dipped into a room, Rowen's old room, and turned off the light.

Rowen, with a raised eyebrow, followed the Ronin of Halo into the dark room. "Okay, Sage... would you mind telling me what's up?"

Sage suddenly slipped behind Rowen, taking his hands in his, "Rowen, I've waited so long to show you this, yet worked so hard on it..." he started, whispering in his ear. Sage brushed his lips against Rowen's earlobe as he reached behind him to flick on the light.

Rowen gasped as he could finally see his room. "My gods... Sage!" Rowen turned on his heel and embraced Sage. Only after five seconds, Rowen let go and turned to look at his room again. The whole bedroom was painted in a space aura. It was mostly midnight blue, but there was stars everywhere, and in the corner of the room was the outline of the planets.

"It's beautiful, Sage..." Rowen looked up at the ceiling, noticing more painted stars. "I can't believe you!"

Sage chuckled. "Merry half Christmas."

Rowen arched his eyebrow, "Half Christmas?"

"Yeah. I still have the one present to give you at Christmas, Love."

Rowen smirked, "Whatever!" He gestured behind him, "This is ALL I need, Sage! This and your love of course."

Sage blushed, "You'll always have that." he purred.

"So why could I ask anymore of you?"

Sage bit his bottom lip and smiled, "Because I love you."

Rowen bit his tongue and walked into Sage's embrace. "Well..." he started with a blissful sigh, "then I can understand."

Sage smiled and held Rowen in his arms.

-~-~*~-~-

"HEY!" Kento screamed up the stairs, "KIDS! Dinner is READY!"

"Okay!" came a scream back.

Kento chuckled to himself and waltzed back into the kitchen, seating himself at the table.

Not a second after they started eating, Sage and Rowen walked into the kitchen, grim smiles on their faces.

"What were you guys doing?" Ryo asked, shoving a forkful of food in his mouth.

"We were talking... ya know, catching up on old times." Rowen replied, sitting himself down in an empty seat next to Sage.

Sage ran a hand through his hair as he grabbed a plate of food. "Yeah, nothing really."

"So how's Mia doing?" Rowen asked Ryo, a grin on his face.

Ryo slightly shrugged, "Working as always. She's never NOT on the computer."

"Isn't she supposed to come down here for Christmas?" Cye asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

Ryo nodded, "She heading up here tomorrow afternoon... hopefully."

Sage chuckled, "Well, at least we all get to see each other."

Everyone nodded. Then a moment of silence passed through, only the clatter of forks and spoons hitting the plates and mouths chewing bites of food.

After dinner, everyone went into the family room. Ryo started a fire while Cye made cups of hot chocolate. Sage and Rowen were seated on a couch, cuddled and kept warm by a blanket. Kento sat in the chair across from them, gazing out the window as it started to snow.

"Ya know..." Kento started, taking his gaze off the window and directing it to his friends, "Isn't there supposed to be this huge snow storm coming up tomorrow?"

Cye walked into the room, nodding as his munched on a gingerbread cookie, "Yes, it's supposed to be pretty big."

Ryo plopped himself down next to Sage and Rowen and put his arms around them, "All the better to stay in here and keep warm!"

Rowen and Sage laughed. "We get to sleep in and drink hot chocolate all day."

Cye shook a bottle of peppermint vodka, "And maybe have a little fun."

A wave of laughter rippled through the room.

"We'll start the party as soon as it's tomorrow," Kento replied, chuckling. "But until then," he paused to yawn, "I'm going to bed."

"Me too." Ryo cracked his knuckles and stood up, then stretched to the ceiling. "Gods, I'm so sore." he mumbled, "All that fucking shoveling..."

Sage and Rowen laughed to themselves, watching Ryo head up the stairs.

"So what are you guys gonna do?" Cye asked, picking up all the empty mugs.

Rowen grabbed the last gingerbread cookie and stuck it in his mouth, "Mmm."

Sage laughed, "Nothing right now, Cye."

"All right." he smiled. Then taking all the cups into the kitchen, he came back out and said, "I'm going to bed, too. See you in the morn."

"G'night, Cye." Sage waved.

"So," Rowen pursed his lips, "Since we are the only ones up now, what is there to do?"

Sage shrugged, "I don't know." He sighed and burrowed himself into the blanket.

Rowen smiled, "Are you getting tired?"

Sage made a muffled groan.

Rowen chuckled and got underneath the blanket to find Sage. He laid down behind him and grabbed his arms, sighing sweetly as he got comfortable.

Sage closed his eyes and let a warm grin pass over his face. "I'm so happy that you're back," he said in a tone just above a whisper.

Rowen moved so that his lips were touching the back of Sage's neck, "Me too." Then Rowen mouthed the words 'I love you' against Sage's skin.

Sage gave Rowen's hands a squeeze back and pressed his body closer to Rowen. They both laid on the couch, kept warm by the blanket and each other until they both drifted off into a deep sleep.

~*~

Well, that's chapter one. More drama and suspicion to come in the next 'episode'.