Your Love Keeps is What Keeps Me Warm

There out the in the blistering cold snow stood that red-haired little boy. In the same spot as always, looking unkempt and disheveled among the endless trail of white. He was as frail and scrawny as usual. Desperately huddling up for warmth. Where were his parents? The black-haired little boy pondered as he observed the sickly young kid from his bedroom window. He looked around the same age as him. But why was he out there all alone? Every night the little boy would stand there, shivering in the harsh cold. What was he doing out there? If he stayed out there long enough…

Without a second thought the black-haired little boy rushed outside and held out his hand to the red-haired little boy. It was not often that he offered kindness to others but there was something about the red-haired kid and the black-haired boy did not feel that he could just leave him out there all alone. The red-haired boy on the other hand was abandoned by his mother at a young age and lived on the streets most of his life, left to fend for himself. Now having nowhere else to go and running short on food supply he stayed out in the cold, wearing little but rags.

When the black-haired boy offered his hand to the red-haired boy, the red-haired boy got a surprised look in his eye but quickly evaded the other boy's gaze.

The red-haired boy looked even worse close-up. His hair was matted and tangled up with bits of dirt and twig here and there and his face was covered in mud and soiled black snow. He looked pale and bony and his clothes were ripped and dirty. But even so, despite all his false impurities that never once changed the fact that he was beautiful.

The black-haired boy noticed that the red-haired boy had a very pretty face, and shiny crimson hair that glistened in the moonlight.

"Aren't you cold?" the black-haired boy asked after the red-haired boy rejected his offer to come with him. When he received no response the black-haired boy sighed heavily. If the red-haired boy was going to be stubborn with him he would just have to try harder.

A few minutes later the black-haired boy came back outside with a hot bowl of soup and some bread. "Here. Eat," he said shoving a piece of bread in the red-haired boy's face. "You're hungry, aren't you?"

However the red-haired boy shook his head and refused to accept the black-haired boy's kindness. So when the black-haired boy decided he wasn't being assertive enough the shoved the food in the red-haired boy's face holding bread in one hand the boy's head in the other.

"You know what happens when you don't eat don't you?" the black-haired boy questioned in an annoyed tone.

When he realized that the black-haired boy wasn't going to leave him alone anytime soon the red-haired boy decided to just give in. With a stubborn look in his fiery red eyes he took a large bite out of the bread, a slight blush forming on his frost-bitten cheeks. Why the black-haired boy was doing all of this he did not know.

When he finished eating the black-haired boy grabbed the red-haired boy's hand. At this the red-haired boy's face turned a bright shade of pink and he quickly snatched his hand away from the black-haired boy. "W-what do you think you're doing?!" he shouted in a fluster.

Finally. He had gotten the red-haired boy to speak to him. "Keeping you warm," the black-haired boy replied, grabbing the red-haired boy's hand in his once more blowing his hot breath onto it in an attempt to warm up the red-haired boy. The red-haired boy pulled his hand away stubbornly once more, avoiding making eye contact with the black-haired boy. "I don't need you to-" but before he could finish the red-haired boy made a small cute sneeze as his nose started to turn red from the cold.

"See. You're freezing out here. Come inside and I'll keep you warm."

"…fine…" the red-haired boy finally muttered under his breath, giving in to the black-haired boy's wishes.

"My name is Haruka by the way," the black-haired boy held out his hand to the red-haired boy once again.

The red-haired boy hesitantly took hold of the black-haired boy's hand "Rin."

Haruka lived by himself and he rarely ever had any visitors so this was a rare opportunity for him.

Once they got inside the Haru made Rin remove his clothes and take a bath. His hair and body were filthy. After all a nice hot bath would quickly warm him up and while cleansing his body at the same time. After a few minutes of sitting in the bath the door swung open and out of nowhere Haruka appeared naked before Rin as he rapidly stripped off each article of clothing right in front of him.

"What are you doing?!" Rin asked half-shocked, half-flustered.

"Joining you," came Haruka's simple reply as he stepped into the hot water and sat across from Rin at the opposite end of the tub.

After a while Haru decided to help the other boy wash, carefully picking bits of twig and dirt out of Rin's hair as he went. Rin did not protest this time but still refused to look Haru in the eyes. He had never taken a bath before. This experience was new for him. The soft touch of the other boy's hands stroking his vibrant red hair felt somewhat soothing to him. For the first time in his young life he felt truly relaxed. Haruka let a small smile fill his face at the red-haired boy's sudden calmness. Then without warning he wrapped his arms around the other boy's waist. And before he realized what he was doing the red-haired boy buried his face in the black-haired boy's arms as he held him close. He felt so…warm

After they finished their bath the two boys sat together near Haruka's fireplace. Haruka made hot chocolate for the Rin, which the red-haired boy accepted. The sweet taste of the chocolate was something the boy had never tasted before. It reminded him of… home. A place had never truly been before this point in time. The hot taste of the beverage filled his whole body with a sudden warmth and he leaned against the Haru's back as they sat near the fireplace.

Without much thought Rin placed his hand upon Haru's, taking in that small moment they would share together. It was strange. They had only just met. They barely knew eachother. And yet neither of them could deny the feeling that swelled deep within their chests.

Haru leaned in close to Rin, their noses almost touching, until their lips met. Pulling away slowly they gazed intently into eachother's eyes wishing this moment to last forever.

That night they slept together in Haru's bed, snuggling up close to one another. The Haruka wanted to keep Rin safe and protect him from the cold. He would take care of him and look after him. He would never let him go. Rin lay close to the Haruka, happy that he had taken him in. He had never felt like this before. As long as Haruka stayed by his side and cared for him though, there was nothing more he could ever ask for.