Ice Angels
Snowfall
Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Krad shuffled from his place on the couch and stirred, eyes opening lazily. He must have fallen asleep. Winter always made him sleepy. The covers clung to his body which was sweating slightly from the fire that had been blazing. Now, it was just a simply flame that flickered weakly, just spots of crimson burning on the blackened wood. Krad groaned, falling off the couch and onto the floor. He landed with a soft crash and turned on his back, staring up at the ceiling. When he noticed how dreadfully dark it was, he pulled one hand from the bundle of covers and looked at the time. Just about an hour before midnight, and Satoshi had not awakened him yet.
He didn't panic, only slowly pulled himself up and curling up against the large blankets that had been entwined with his arms and legs, an attempt to keep him warm. It didn't work. It didn't matter if he burned alive, inside, an icy heart gave him an invisible frostbite. As he ran a hand through his hair he looked about, noting the snow had started piling more on the windowsill. Slowly, he walked over to the window, flinging open the glass to be greeted with a sharp chilling wind that pressed against his cheeks.
"A snowstorm," he muttered softly. He knew that Satoshi could take care of himself, and he should be home soon, right? Krad ran his free hand through the snowflakes on the windowsill, chilling his hand until his very bones shivered. The snow fell heavily now, gathering in golden locks that looked so warm, yet did not melt the snow. The moon seemed concealed by the oncoming snow and Krad found he wanted to reach out and gather snow in his hand. His hand found it's way slowly into the cold air, and then, snowflakes landed gently onto his palm. Each melted at the touch of human flesh and Krad frowned.
"Hnn. Warm enough to melt snow at least," he muttered softly. He waited until his whole body was shaking to pull his thin figure back into the room. The window shut with a slam, and he turned, glancing once more at the clock. So he had wasted about twenty minutes staring out at bleak clouds of gray and white pure snow gathering on roofs. He'd stared at icicles dripping from tree branches like a slow honey that had suddenly stopped, gravity no longer in control. What a waste. Krad glanced once more at the door and sighed. So maybe Satoshi was only a few years younger than him, and the blonde expected him to be able to take care of himself, but he was still not home, and that was bad. In silence, he pulled on his boots, coat, and scarf. He pushed a hat rudely over his head so only a few strands of gold peeked out from the white cloth that snuggled close to his head. With another groan, Krad pulled the door open and made his way outside into the snow. Slowly, his form vanished within the gray clouds, and the snow, and the blue shadows that they made on the sidewalks.
xXx
Daisuke looked up at the sky to be greeted with snowflakes dancing on his eyelashes. The strange throbbing in his head had ceased a while ago, but now riots of intense shivers threatened his body. The boy with icy hair had not awoken yet, though several times he did stir in his sleep. The redhead was still trying to debate how the name of this boy had come to his mind. And how he knew, he just knew, that Satoshi was indeed the boy's name. He tested it on his lips, muttering the name softly. A soft puff of white escaped his shivering lips and he watched it vanish in the air.
"Satoshi," he whispered again. Suddenly, he shook his head rapidly to rid of the snow that gathered in his crop of crimson. He glanced back at the boy to notice he too, had the white frozen water between his locks of blue. Daisuke leaned over, noticing how it was a beautiful mix of colors and brushed the snow out. For a moment he stayed with his hand over the boy's hair, fingers wandering in locks of blue before he felt a shiver. The blunette groaned, turning over to face the other side of the bench. Daisuke waited, holding his breath, and shook Satoshi's shoulder lightly. He still did not wake and Daisuke sighed. He looked up, watching the snow fall more swiftly to the ground.
"Uh oh..."
Just a few minutes later Daisuke was trying to pick the boy up into his arms and make his way home. The snow had turned violent, striking at his soft skin and cheeks, threatening to kill him with a layer of ice over his small body. It was no use. He just didn't have the upper body strength to lift this boy up. When he was about to give up, a voice sounded out through the snow behind him.
"You again," it muttered.
Daisuke spun around to see a bundle of pallid cloth. If it were not for the golden eyes glaring down at him, and golden strands of hair poking out from a pallid hat, Daisuke would not have known who it was.
"Ah, hello!" Daisuke said, a bit louder than needed. His face brightened slightly, despite the cold that nibbled at his bare fingers that were shivering. The blue-haired boy had thin gloves, and Daisuke thought that he should make sure the boy was kept warm, so he'd slipped his own onto the boy's hands. The blonde, Krad, looked over Daisuke's shoulder to see Satoshi unconscious on a bench. Carefully he picked the boy up, cradling him in his arms as if he was some sick child. Which, in fact, he really was.
"Do you, ah, know him?" Daisuke asked, fiddling with his fingers. Krad took the gloves off and handed them back to Daisuke who slipped them on gratefully.
"He's my brother," Krad muttered with sweet bitterness. Daisuke flinched. He said the word like it was poison on his tongue.
"Well...He collapsed on the ground, and I didn't want to leave him so..." The redhead went back to fiddling with his gloves.
"Thank you." That was all he said. Cold. Icy...
"He doesn't seem well. Would you like to come to my house? I mean...We have some medicine, and it's just around the corner..."
Krad looked down at the boy, suddenly remembering the amethyst-eyed older boy who had accompanied him earlier that night. And by the looks of it, they seemed to have been relatives. So, for no other reason than to see the boy called Dark again, Krad lied.
"Of course, that would be nice. I don't want him getting anymore sick than he already is..."
Daisuke flinched. How could he be so cold? It sounded as if he viewed his brother as a burden. The redhead simply nodded absently and made his way to his own household, the blonde following close behind.
When the two had arrived at the Niwa home, Krad had been welcomed with warm and open arms. Emiko, Daisuke's mother, looked down at the pale boy in Krad's arms and gasped, a hand over her mouth.
"What happened?" she asked softly, offering to take him in her own hands. Krad shook his head, but had no doubt the young woman could carry him around--Satoshi felt like bags of feathers in his arms.
"He...fainted," Daisuke answered innocently. They ventured inside, Krad setting Satoshi on the couch where he was instructed and then he went to taking off his boots and coat.
"Aye, what'd you bring home Daisuke? A stray bunny again?" Dark popped his head inside and froze when he caught sight of the blonde at their doorway. Slowly, he made his way back into the kitchen to get several odd stares from the rest of the family.
"That was Dark, sorry he's a bit..." Daisuke trailed off as Krad simply nodded, letting his golden hair fall down to, oh say the bottom of the floor.
"Would you happen to have something to..."
"Tie your hair up with?" Emiko piped. She smiled, handing Krad a hair band and clip in which Krad used to pull his hair up tightly to the back of his neck. Only his bangs hung loosely in front of his eyes.
"I don't want to be a burden," he murmured softly. Emiko shook her head, putting a cup of warm hot cocoa into his hands. Krad looked down at it, steam emitting from the liquid and bit his lip. Just like Rio used to make...
"Daisuke, get the extra blankets and pillows from the closet. Dark?"
Emiko turned to see Dark's head popping back in. He had several colorfully lit lights in his mouth. Krad couldn't help but giggle inside.
"What are you..."
"Puttin' up da wights!" Dark said between colorful bulbs still stuck in his mouth, and vanished into the kitchen again. Kosuke was the one who came out this time.
"He was helping me put the lights on the roof, but now he's trying to put them around the window," he explained. When he noticed Krad Kosuke smiled warmly.
"Why, hello...?"
"Krad. Krad Hikari."
Kosuke nodded, smiling wholeheartedly. He glanced out the window, his smile fading slightly.
"You should stay here for the night. It looks like there's going to be a snowstorm..." Kosuke watched as his son scampered up the basement stairs, bundles of blankets in his arms. The only thing visible was his tuft of red hair. He tried to make his way to the sofa and nearly fell until Krad took a few of the blankets.
"T-Thanks!"
Krad simply looked down at the boy, who shifted under the cold gaze and ran over to Satoshi placing more blankets on the boy. He shifted once more in his sleep and Daisuke stayed still for a bit, to look down at him and then glance back up.
"Krad, you can sleep on the other couch if you like, or you can use my bed, or Dark's bed, or-"
"Shit!"
Outside there was a loud crashing sound and Dark came back in, snow everywhere, flakes resting in strands of violet.
"Don't give away my bed!" Dark yelled from the doorway. He was done with putting lights up. After there had been much debate of where the blonde would sleep, including why Daisuke thought he shouldn't sleep on the floor, Krad had finally said he'd just sleep on the couch, and it was just fine. For the first time that very odd night, the blonde sat down, hot chocolate still in his hands. He looked down, hoping to see his reflection, but only watched swirls of brown. Kosuke and Emiko, the parents of the two cheerful boys, had made their way upstairs to go to sleep. Daisuke was accompanying Krad downstairs, sleeping on the floor. The only one awake was...
"What's your name?" Krad looked up at Dark, who was standing over him.
"Krad," he repeated for about the third time that day. Dark nodded, and sat down next to him on the couch. Krad didn't object.
"Ever since you got here," Dark huffed, "You've been doing nothing but drag yourself around here."
Krad glanced over at the boy who was leaning on his palms, staring at the fire at which Daisuke was snuggled up in front of, sound asleep.
"How dare you-" Dark looked over and smiled softly, his eyes closing. Krad's eyes widened, a strange warmth spreading through his body and soul, penetrating to his fingertips. He could feel his heartbeat pounding against his chest, and the blood pump through his veins. Dark had leaned over, gently brushing his fingertips across Krad's hand, and then tracing his cheekbone. Krad simply stared in shock, not able to move until Dark had pulled away, grinning lazily. No one had ever touched him like that, so warmly, like fire...
"Loosen up, why don't you?" he asked. He pulled himself up, sighing.
"Well, I'm going to bed...Krad..." Dark walked up the stairs sleepily, swaying dangerously as he went. Krad stared, still amazed. He ran two fingers where Dark had traced a line down his cheekbone and closed his eyes. That warmth...It was gone now. And he so craved to have it back. He licked his lips and looked back down at his chocolate. Slowly, he took a sip. It was cold.
So? Eh? Huh? Oh? No? Yes? Ow! Alright I'll stop...So how'd ya like that? Bam. This was a longer chapter, the longest I think (the first chapter was just long because of the song lyrics). I hope you all enjoyed this. Oh yes. There shall be a snowstorm. There shall be snowmen. There shall be-Oh heck, I won't spoil it! I bet you're wondering if I'll ever run out of Christmas songs. Oh no. Ho, ho, ho! Thanks for reading and reviewing! --peachie
Added some fluff. Shōnen-ai coming up...eventually.
