It was too damn cold, he decided. Winter had decided to rain and then freeze on them, turning the streets treacherous even for him, and hopeless for anyone else. The bitter wind caught at his hair, the brittle strands moving idly over his coat. Pale hands, reddened from the cold, sought out the door he knew to belong to the one person he wanted to see. They knocked softly—once, twice.
The door slid open slowly after a pause. "Itachi," Neji said, stifling a yawn with his hand. "What are you doing here? Do you know what time it is?"
"It's thirty-two minutes past ten at night, and you have a mission tomorrow, I know," Itachi said with his usual level voice. "This is going to sound strange, but—do you mind if I stay tonight? My family…"
Neji looked at him sleepily another moment before pushing the screen open more. Grateful, Itachi took off his shoes and came in. Neji was building up the fire in the fireplace and held out a blanket for him, wrapping it tightly around his shoulders.
"What are you doing outside?"
"Getting away from my family."
Neji came over and Itachi opened the blanket; wordlessly Neji picked himself up and curled up next to Itachi. Slowly the Uchiha felt warmth from the fire and warmth from his lover creep through him and sighed.
"Thank you, Neji."
Hidden against Itachi's shoulder, Neji smiled. "It's nothing. Let me get some sleep tonight."
They fell asleep in front of the warm fire as the winter cold spun itself out around them.