So.. I'm just trying something here. I have sort of always wanted to write a story with these two because they're best friends in most... and don't like each other all that much in the anime. Let's see where this goes.

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Company

Prologue

For him, it has become some kind of ritual.

He takes the last of the twenty-four steps and opens the old, rusty door. It creaks a little.

Then it's almost completely silent, except for the sound of his own feet, leaving footprints in the freshly fallen snow.

The roof is familiar to him, every inch. He could walk around blind-folded and would never be at danger of falling.

He lost count of all the nights he spent here.

Slowly, he takes careful steps around the little cabin on top of the roof, before sitting down at one of its corners.

He likes those nights, when it's freezing and no one but him is awake. His favourite spot is all his. He sits there, silently, one leg propped up, resting his right arm on it.

The lights of the city in the distance almost seem to flicker. He feels shut out but that is the sentiment he is looking for. He does not want to be a part of the hectic human world right now. No pressure and no thoughts occupying his mind, just him and the cold. The silence, the snow and some sort of serenity.

He can watch his own breath in the cold of the air. He breathes in and out, stoically. It's the same rhythm, all over again.

But then he realizes that tonight his breath is not the only warmth in the air.

'Hn.'

An intruder.

He turns his head and gazes at the familiar silhouette.

A sigh.

'I didn't think you were the type to irrationally stare at the moon, Hiwatari.'

Red-brown orbs meet cerulean ones for less than a second before they turn their attention back to the full moon in the sky.

Body leaned against the wall, crossed arms, he is defensive and apathetic as always.

And of course he gives no answer, just as expected.

His profile is strangely handsome when lit by the dim light of the moon.

'…then again it sort of suits you, I suppose.'

The words escape Tala's mouth before he has time to think about them. But it is true, it doesn't feel wrong to see his greatest rival here. And while normally he would have been embarrassed to compliment the other, even if only in his head, his blood circulation stays the same. He doesn't even reprimand himself for the thought.

Leaning his head back against the outer wall of the staircase cabin, his eyes turn back to the many lights shining brightly in the firmament. His head feels cold where it makes contact with the wall but he is used to that sentiment, having experienced it so often already. He is resistant to the cold anyway, he did grow up here in Russia after all.

After watching the stars for a while, the redhead realizes that he does not mind the other's presence for once. It seems here on the roof there is no rivalry between them. No one tries to claim this place as their only property and no one feels the need to prove their superiority to the other.

Nevertheless, a few seconds later he calmly gets up. He is not sure why but he knows it's not just to be physically on the same level as the other.

A slow breeze hits his face and blows several strands of his fiery red hair aside.

Next to each other they stand in silence for several minutes, staring at the same moon.

And then the other turns to leave without a word. Everything else had been uncharacteristic of him.

Usually Tala would have felt triumphant to have endured the cold longer. And usually he would have watched the other's retreating back with a look full of disdain.

But not tonight. And all of a sudden, he rests his head against the wall behind him, closes his eyes and smiles.

The heat that is usually in the air when they meet seems to have drowned in the cold tonight.