In which Rikuo is a sneaky bastard.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Rikuo climbed back into the driver's seat after popping the hood of the car, having taken a look inside, and now slamming the door shut behind him, slipping his leather gloves back on, shivering.
"Well? What's wrong?" Kazahaya asked from the passenger side, pulling his coat on. The car Rikuo was driving, Saiga's, actually, had just decided to lag to a stop on the side of the road… a long, barren road surrounded by flat land on either side.
Flat land that was white with snow. Kazahaya had to once again mentally beat himself up for accepting a job offer from Kakei without knowing the details. Poor Rikuo for always getting dragged along.
"There's a hole in the carburetor…" Rikuo muttered, pressing the ISO button to make the hazard lights blink on.
Kazahaya blinked. "Is that bad?"
Rikuo rolled his eyes. "Obviously it's bad if the car just stops working," Rikuo looked over at his dense roommate with a skeptical face.
Kazahaya put his hands up in defense. "No need to raise your voice," here Rikuo scoffed. "I don't know anything about cars."
Rikuo sighed, scratching the back of his head and tapping the steering wheel with the other. It was slowly getting colder, the harsh wind outside making a strange whistle and knocking into the side of the car.
"… We could try walking?" Kazahaya piped up after a while, unbuckling his seat belt.
Rikuo glanced over at Kazahaya like he was crazy.
"What?" Kazahaya squeaked. "We're doing no better here, sitting around while night falls-"
"Stop talking," Rikuo interrupted, awkwardly pulling his long legs up and crawling into the back seat, pulling his own coat on once he sat back down.
Kazahaya turned in his seat to stare at Rikuo, frowning. "What are you doing?"
Rikuo shrugged. "Trying to keep warm," he pulled his collar up and sunk his head into his coat for emphasis.
"You should stay up here with me," Kazahaya turned to face the road again. "Body heat and all that."
A moment of silence passed, the car suddenly thick with silent tension.
"Or," Rikuo broke the quiet after a while. "You could come back here with me."
"And why would I do that?" Kazahaya asked indignantly. Rikuo could hear him rubbing his hands together. The temperature in the car was dropping fast. He shrugged, knowing Kazahaya couldn't see the gesture.
"Body heat… and all that."
He heard Kazahaya exhale loudly through his nose, but nothing else. Rikuo sighed, slouching further into the seat and closed his eyes, thinking about a fireplace.
Rikuo must've dozed off, because he was awoken by feeling his arm forcefully pulled up and over something. Blinking his eyes open, Rikuo looked over to see Kazahaya snuggling against his side, one hand holding his arm over his shoulders like a blanket.
Kazahaya looked up to see Rikuo's awake eyes and looked back down, frowning with determination as he pulled his bent knees almost completely over Rikuo's lap.
"Tell anyone about this and you're dead," Kazahaya muttered darkly. Rikuo smiled at that, then looked out the window as that smile morphed into a grin.
There was nothing wrong with the car.