A Dark Eternity of Warmth

Chapter 1: A Never Ending Winter Night

The bustling sounds and loud atmosphere of a city were anywhere but this place. A place that was so quiet all you could hear was the light wind blowing. The sky was dark, as dark as a black wolf's fur. The only speck of light that was visible was from the full moon shining brightly down to earth penetrating the thick forest that lay below it. The forest had grown quiet as night approached. All the different species that make their home in the trees and branches did not make a sound. Not a single blade of green grass was visible; it was hidden beneath many layers upon layers of pure white snow. The snow was no longer falling but it clearly left its mark on the ground. The forest was filled with what were once big pine trees but now winter has killed them all leaving only bare branches with shades of gray and white. The forest held a small narrow path curving deeper and deeper in the woods until no one could see it. A small sound was heard in the distance but it did not come from nature. A young man was sitting in front of a tree curled up into a ball with his arms wrapped around his legs and his chin resting on his knees. The young man did not look old enough to drink but was of age. He was wearing a long sleeve light blue shirt that was a big on him with the neck of the color stretched out. His legs were surrounded by a light brown jean fabric while his feet were sunk into the snow. The young man's skin looked as if it was made from the finest glass from a delicate china doll. His light brown hair just touched his neck and while it covered his ears and his forehead it was messy but layered ever so nicely. His eyes were unknown because they were shut as the trail of water continued to escape from his eyes. He whimpered as his body involuntarily shivered from being in the cold with nothing more than a mere thin shirt.

"I don't understand brother…why would you do that? I just…no more" the young man said to the dark night sky in a hurt and upset state while his voice shook.

The young man flopped on his side in the snow and started to doze off while still shivering and continuing to cry until he was deep in REM sleep and then he did not make a sound.

"Brother! Stop! Take your hands off of me!" begged the young man.

The older brother grabbed his younger brother and pulled his arms apart as he was trying to defend himself from the punches and kicks but flesh and bone could not guard him from the verbal abuse he was saying.

"You piece of shit! It is your fault...everything that happened! You will be punished until your death" the older brother yelled as he dealt out numerous blows of pain.

The young man lay curled up in a pool blood weeping uncontrollably. He brought his knees up to his chest and clenched his fist together so tight it was as if he were trying to squeeze the life from someone's lungs. With his face covered in tears he pulled his brow closer and forcefully opened up his eyes to see in a blur his bother walking away...

The young man awoke to feel the sting of the nightmare and the pain of his past. He sat up to realize not much time had passed since he drifted off. On the contrary one thing that had passed over him was the numbness in his body from the aching cold.

"I am probably getting hypothermia at this rate..." he mumbled to himself.

There was a sharp noise in the air that made him shoot his head up. A flock of crows that must have been on a nearby tree where flying overhead.

"They must be flying away from something...or someone? Who else could be out here at this time of night in this weather?" he thought with much curiosity.

The young man looked in the direction that the crows were flying away from only to hear the crunch of footsteps in snow. The sound grew closer until a man appeared around the corner of a large tree. A man was walking down the trail with his hands in his pockets and his long hair being brushed back by the wind. As the man continued to come closer he could notice many things he could not from a distance. The man was extremely handsome from every single point. His face was masculine but soft, his eyes were a deep black that was enchanting, his skin was flawless and perfect, his body was slender and tall as he walked, his black silky smooth hair was at his waist, and an air of elegance, sophistication, and pure grace surrounded him with each step. The young man could only stare in amazement in the presence of such beauty. The older man noticed this boy on the ground and how bad he looked in his condition. The elder speed up his pace and stopped in front of him then knelt down in front of him looking at him eye to eye.

"Hey? Are you alright?" the man said with a deep caring voice that not even the best symphony could surpass.

"Huh..?" the young man said exhausted and dazed.

The older man looked at him with a concerning expression as he lifted his arm and put his hand wrapped in a brown glove on his shoulder. Neither of them knew what to say or what to do but as the young man stayed silent from pain coming from every direction the elder had to say something to break the silence.

"I am sorry if I am being too blunt but you really do not look well. Could you tell me if you are okay?" the older man said trying to get a response.

The young man was speechless from exhaustion, hunger, thirst, pain, and cold. He finally managed to respond to the stranger.

"I will be okay." the young man said with a fake smile.

The older man looked at him with eyes that knew he was lying. Though he was unsure of exactly what to do; the man could not be idle as this young man stayed here. Even if there was nothing wrong with him the weather was enough not to let him stay there by himself.

"Alright. I have to ask though... are you not cold like that? And shouldn't you be at your house asleep now?"

The young man looked up at him with his light blue eyes and said nothing. He just looked at him with a depressed and nervous look. The elder man then shifted his hand and touched his cheek ever so gently and shut his eyes a bit. The young man opened his eyes wide to the feeling of a warm touch caressing him hoping to comfort him.

"It will be okay." the young man said quickly.

The older man continued to stay worried and would not stop until he was safe and no longer in the cold.

"Why don't you let me take you to your house?"

The young man said nothing but instead turned his gaze away from him.

"Or I could call a friend of yours to pick you up?"

The young man cringed at the thought and continued to say nothing.

"Well then, since you will not talk to me you have no other chose to come with me then." the older man said with certainty.

The younger man shot him a unexpected yet happy look and still did not respond.

"What? Did you think I would leave you here?" the elder said with a chuckle.

"I don't know..." the younger man said with sadness.

"Well that will not happen. So could you at least tell me your name then?

The younger man looked at him with such awe because he was being so kind to him and smiled a smile that was real.

"Yeah it's...Fuyuki." he said with a small blush running across his face.

"C-could you tell me yours too?" Fuyuki stuttered

"Why of course, it's Hiroshi." he said as rubbed his thumb on his cheek bone.

Fuyuki shut his eyes to the soft and kind caress of a caring man. He sat there as Hiroshi noticed he was going to get frostbite if he did not get warm because his fingers were turning colors.

"Hey we should get out of here now or you will get frostbite."

"I can't believe what just happened and it happened out of nowhere, this kind man, something in my life has just happened that made me happy. I hope this is a good sign."Fuyuki thought.

"Um…okay Hiroshi."

Hiroshi held on to both of Fuyuki's hands as he stumbled and tried to get up but failing.

"Ah...sorry I am trying not to..." he said in pain.

"It's fine, everything will be okay just let me help you."

Hiroshi bent really low to the ground and opened up his arms.

"Come over here in my arms and I will carry you back to my apartment."

Fuyuki's heart skipped a beat because of everything Hiroshi was doing to help him.

"O...Okay."

Fuyuki moved slightly towards Hiroshi so he was just out of reach from his grasp. With a loving face he took off all of his winter clothing and put it on Fuyuki. He then picked up Fuyuki in his somewhat muscular arms and started to walk down the path carrying him bridal style. While being in his arms Fuyuki felt something he had never felt before. He laid his head on his chest and without control of his emotion tears fell once again from his eyes.

"Do not cry." Hiroshi said as wiped away his tears.

"I just-" Fuyuki went to speak but was then cut off by a finger resting on his lips.

There was a short silence between them as they went down the long path through the forest.

"Thank You." Fuyuki whispered as he started to doze off into sleep.

"There is no need to thank me; I would not have left you there no matter what. Do you think I could not see how much pain is troubling you? I could tell from the moment I looked at you." Hiroshi thought.

As Hiroshi wrapped his long index finger around Fuyuki's hair the both of them continued down the path heading for the many small towns that lay beyond the forest.

Chapter 1: A Never Ending Winter Night END