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After a long day of walking, the Shinoa Squad and friends arrived at a dilapidated, one story parking garage.
“We’ll stop and spend the night here. It’s as good a shelter as any and it’s getting late,” Shinoa stated.
“Kimizuki, you’ll be making dinner again, alright?”
“Sure thing,” Kimizuki replied.
“Yoichi and Mikaela, you two go and see what you can find for us to eat.”
“Yes mam,” Yoichi agreed enthusiastically and he and Mikaela went off in search of living creatures.
“Makoto, you can keep an eye on Kimizuki,” Shinoa made sure not to leave the ill tempered boy alone.
“Hay!” Kimizuki was slightly offended that he should need taking care of.
“Mitsuba and Yuichiro, you’ll be collecting fuel for the fire with me. Let’s get to it,” Shinoa ignored Kimizuki’s objection and she, Yuichiro, and Mitsuba went off to collect flammable materials; leaving Kimizui to prepare a fire pit with Makoto.
When everyone was finished with their dinner and had laid down to sleep under the portico of the parking garage, things became quiet and peaceful.
Mikaela could hear everyone’s breathing as they slept soundly. He usually slept along with them, for long wakeful nights can be lonely. But tonight he didn’t feel like sleeping, he kept hearing animals creeping in the bushes. Every now and then he heard the shrieking of some kind of bird, or maybe a rodent. But most of all he was cold.
It was unusual for Mikaela’s coldness to bother him so much, after all, he had been living as a mostly dead aberration for four years by now. But being around humans more had reminded him of life, how it was to be mortal, to eat, to feel fear, sadness, and to care about other lives beside his own.
Mikaela’s heartbeat had long since left him and he now knew a silence like no mortal has ever experienced, he was in most facets, dead. But for all the missing components of life he was still, if nothing else, conscious.
Mikaela missed being alive. When he was alive it was normal to sleep at the end of the day, to breath, and to seek warmth when he was cold. It was all he could do to shiver, tuck his feet closer to himself, and pull the blanket snugly around his face.
Mikaela wished to take an ember from the dying fire burning near him and hold it close in the hopes that it would warm him. Or even better, he envisioned lying down in the warm ashes and burning. Maybe he would be born anew as Phoenix was supposed to have done.
Mikaela wrapped his arms around himself, feeling more uncomfortably cold than any dead thing has the right to feel.
After a minute of hopeless heat fantasies Mikaela peeked over to his left where Yuichiro laid, asleep. He crept quietly over to the dark haired boy and whispered his name.
“Yu,” he waited a moment for an answer.
“Yu, I’m cold.”
“Hm?” Yuichiro turned to face his waker.
“I’m cold,” Mikaela repeated as he slumped hopelessly on the floor in front of his friend.
“Oh,” Yuichiro sat up.
“I... I don’t understand... isn’t it normal for vampires to be cold? At least, that’s what I thought.”
“Yeah...” Mikaela raised his head to look at Yuichiro.
“Then... are you uncomfortable because you’re cold?”
“Sort of, yeah,” Mikaela looked away in embarrassment, for he was ashamed to be experiencing any sort of weakness that he should not be susceptible to. Yuichiro leaned closer.
“Is that normal?”
“I... I don’t know?” Mikaela’s eyes went from place to place in an objectless search.
“I don’t think so,” he finally answered.
“Will blood help you?” Yuichiro offered Mikaela a midnight snack.
“No!… no… I do not believe it would,” Mikaela objected surely.
“You sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” Without warning Mikaela let out a sob, which he quickly quelled.
“Mika, what’s the matter?!” Yuichiro leaned over and apprehended his friend’s shoulders. Mikaela trembled with suppressed emotion for a moment before he took hold of himself again.
“I… I,” he struggled to articulate whatever it was that troubled him so.
“I don’t know why this’s happening to me?”
“What’s happening to you?” Yuichiro was by now very concerned.
“I don’t know? I miss being human, and I’m so… cold,” Mikaela moaned quietly.
“Oh…” Yuichiro held Mikaela’s shoulders for a moment before he hugged the vampire.
After a slightly awkward half minute, Yuichiro let Mikaela go and spoke again.
“Well, here. Pull y’ur blankets closer over here and you can sleep next to me,” he offered cheerily; though their beds were already quite close to begin with. Still, Mikaela pulled his makeshift bed of a couple blankets beside Yuichiro’s. Yuichiro thus tugged and fussed with the both of their beds till he was satisfied with the organization. Then he held open his blanket, inviting Mikaela to join him. Mika crawled under the covers and the two laid down.
As they lay things went on under the blankets. Yuichiro snuck his hand over to Mikaela’s side and laid it on top of the others hand, his warm palm resting on Mika’s cold knuckles. Twenty seconds later Mikaela spoke.
“Yu...”
“What?”
“I’m still cold.” Yuichiro turned over onto his right side to face Mikaela.
“Oh... you wanna uh... cuddle closer?” he grinned in embarrassment and blushed hard at the words he had just uttered. Any normal human being would not have seen it in the dark, but Mikaela was not human; and he had incredibly sharp eyesight, even in the dark.
“Yes..” he turned over onto his left shoulder after a baffled moment of awkward procrastination.
The two huddled closer, Yuichiro laid his left arm over Mikaela. With his other hand he cupped Mika’s cold cheek, brushing his thumb over his eyelashes.
Mika closed his eyes and sighed. He wished that his hands were as warm as Yu’s. After a moment more he wrapped his right arm under Yu’s left and over his shoulder blades. Situating his hand at the back of Yu’s head, Mikaela felt his warm scruff. He clasped Yuichiro tight, he wanted to be closer to him and his warmth.
Just as Yuichiro thought he was to be squeezed to death (though he did not mind it so much) Mikaela let him go and sat up with a start.
Yuichiro watched for a moment as Mikaela stared out of the portico and into the bushes and trees. After a moment he tried to sit up as well, but his leg opposite to Mikaela was hung over the others leg in a way that prevented him from sitting up properly. Yuichiro laid back down after a strained moment of half balance.
“Oh. Sorry,” Mikaela glanced back at Yuichiro after his stirring and apologized as he lifted him from the blankets and straightened out his own leg, freeing the other’s limb.
After being righted Yuichiro spoke.
“What is it you’re looking at?” he asked as he squinted into the dark.
“I heard something,” Mikaela looked back at the shrubbery shrouded in the dark of the night. He gazed hard for a moment before giving his observation.
“It’s a deer.”
“Oh...”
Yuichiro and Mikaela were silent for a moment as they watched the deer. Then Yuichiro reached over to Mikaela’s side and took his right hand in his left, and with his right hand he covered Mikaela’s left. For a moment he merely held Mika’s cold hands, rubbing his blonde companion’s right palm with his warm thumb.
Now Yuichiro pulled Mikaela’s hand to his side and placed it there, coaxing him to take hold of his waist. He scooted closer and then did the same with Mikaela’s other hand. With his own hands he held Mikaela’s cheeks, tickling his eyelashes yet again in that same night. Mikaela turned his nose down to the side reflexively, at the sensation.
Yuichiro looked hard at Mikaela’s fluttering red eyes for a long moment, and Mikaela returned his gaze. The two had their faces so close that their noses just touched. Then Yuichiro closed his eyes and pushed his nose closer. Pursing his lips the slightest bit, he gently touched his mouth to Mikaela’s. Mikaela, all in a tizzy, fluttered his eyelashes more frantically than ever.
After a somewhat brief smooch, Yuichiro kissed all over Mikaela’s face. He kissed his cheeks, his nose, his eyelids, his temples, and then he kissed his mouth one last time.
Now done showing Mikaela’s face all the affection in the world and more, Yuichiro put his arms around Mikaela and rested his chin on his shoulder. Mikaela did likewise and the two sat silently for a bit before Yuichiro spoke.
“Mika...” Mikaela waited a moment for Yuichiro to carry on before he pressed him to continue.
“What?” He waited another moment.
“Yu?...”
“Mika, I love you so much,” said Yuichiro, who was apparently very sleepy. At this Mikaela went pink, if he was not already; and he squeezed Yuichiro’s waist tighter.
“You make my faded excuse for a life feel real, and I want to be alive again... just because of you,” Mikaela saw this as a complimenting tryout and went all out.
“You’re so sweet,” Yuichiro continued.
“You are very special to me. In all the world there is no one who has felt so cared for as I when I am with you.”
“Y’ur very, very, exponentially special to me too,” Yuichiro competed feebly, but was outmatched in comparison to Mikaela’s wittier vocabulary.
For some time Yuichiro and Mikaela sat together. As the night progressed Mikaela was made aware that Yuichiro was asleep. His breathing had by now softened and he hardly moved.
Mikaela was flustered. Here he held in his very own arms, a precious sleeping Yuichiro. Mikaela was not sleeping through this. Having oh so carefully covered his black haired friend with a blanked, he held Yuichiro through the night. Only did he lay him down in the early dawn, for fear of embarrassment through discovery by Yu’s comrades.
Mikaela laid Yuichiro carefully onto his blankets. Taking the utmost care not to wake him, he leaned down with him. Just as he was to sit upright again he heard a voice.
“What the hell are you up to?” Mitsuba chirped, quietly inquisitive.
Mikaela did not answer, he only tucked Yuichiro under his blankets and stood up. He straightened himself in a dignified manner and looked challengingly back at his interrogator.
“I asked you a question,” Mitsuba pressed.
“So?” Mikaela directed his stony gaze upon the irksome, little human.
“‘So’, you were all over him just a second ago! And that is very suspicious, considering your background.”
Mikaela rolled his eyes discreetly.
“I was laying him down.”
“Don’t people usually lay THEMSELVES down BEFORE going to sleep?” Mitsuba huffed.
“Quit prying,” Mikaela grumbled quietly. He was disgruntled to find Mitsuba now disorganizing the blankets which he had so assiduously placed upon Yuichiro, and to make sure that he had not bitten him; the nerve.
“You really think I would do such a thing… I would never!” Mikaela hissed, not so convincingly.
Mikaela looked on indignantly as Mitsuba messed about with his beautifully wrapped Yuichiro in a blanket. Consequently, to no expense of natural law, Yuichiro woke.
“Now you’ve woken him, very considerate of you,” Mikaela groused.
“Yeah yeah, whatever,” Mitsuba mumbled irritably.
“Mitsuba… what… wh-“ Yuichiro sat up and yawned.
“Sorry for waking you Yu,” Mitsuba scooted away an inch or two.
“What’s going on?” Yuichiro recalled his before sleep circumstances and blushed inwardly at the thought of it.
“And… where’s Mika?”
“Here,” Mikaela leaned to the side, presenting himself from behind Mitsuba.
“What are you guys talking about?” Yoichi peeped from his blankets, next to Yuichiro’s. He turned his head to peer with sleepy green eyes at the three of Mitsuba, Yuichiro, and Mikaela. All of said individuals stood or sat silently, then Mitsuba spoke up.
“Mikaela was looking real shady over here by sleeping Yuichir-“
“I was not!” Mikaela objected, seeming almost hurt, but slightly furious as well. Mitsuba stood and glared suspiciously at him.
“W-well, I don’t think Mikaela would uh… do that,” Yoichi propped himself up with his arms.
“Why are you taking his side?!” Mitsuba protested.
“How about we ask Yu?” Yoichi suggested.
“What the hell are you idiots squabbling about over there?!” Kimizuki groused loudly from his blankets nearby, shortly before sitting up and glaring expectantly at the two, original irritants.
Mikaela shrunk back and into himself, much preferring his previous activity over his present.
Finally Shinoa was awake. The girl boss removed herself from her resting place and stepped determinedly towards the source of the ruckus.
“What’s all this about?” She placed her hands on her hips boredly.
“Mikaela was found leaning suspiciously over Yuichiro… as he slept,” Mitsuba explained and everyone looked over at the creature in question, who stood, unable to come up with a defense.
“Hold on just a minute. He did nothing to me, I can personally verify this,” Yuichiro stood from his bed and stepped beside Mikaela, placing his hand on the other’s shoulder.
“How do you know he wasn’t going to drink your blood?” Mitsuba put forward.
“She does have a point,” everyone started at Makoto’s sudden interjection.
“What might he have been doing, if not that?”
“As I said earlier, I was laying him down,” Mikaela was growing agitated at this point, he did not enjoy disclosing this information to so many people.
“And as I said earlier, people usually lay themselves down,” Mitsuba added.
Yuichiro leaned closer to Mikaela and whispered in order that his words might not be discerned by the others.
“Last I remember before waking up we were hugging. Did you sit there all night with me?!” He whispered.
“Yes,” Mikaela imitated Yuichiro’s discreteness in speech and looked down to the ground in slight embarrassment.
“What’s with the whispering? There’s nothing to hide here, right?” Shinoa asked.
“Yeah, there’s nothing to hide,” Yuichiro fought to keep a straight face, obviously there was something to hide; but he wasn’t going to be telling everyone about this. And besides, it was completely unrelated to what they suspected Mikaela of.
“You guys, it’s true. Though I don’t remember him laying me down, I do have some important information,” Yuichiro stated.
“So… last night… I fell asleep next to Mika…” Everyone stared at Yuichiro, awaiting clarification.
“Ugh,” he wiped a hand exasperatedly down one side of his face, tugging an eyelid grotesquely in the process.
“Like… like this,” Yuichiro stepped over to Mikaela and hugged him lightly.
“And I went to sleep. Whew whew whew,” he commenced some high pitched, farce sleeping noises and pretended to rest his head on Mikaela’s breast. Afterwards, leaving the blond quite chagrined.
For a painful moment of silence everyone stared at Yuichiro. Then Yoichi spoke.
“It’s true, I saw them,” he stated and simultaneously, all eyes went from Yuichiro to Yoichi.
“You ‘saw them?…” Kimizuki furrowed his brow.
“Yes, I saw them… They hugged, and Yuichiro went to sleep during that hug.” Yoichi Explained.
“Is this DEFAMATION over yet?! I would like to get on with my day,” Yuichiro complained dramatically.
“Yes, it’s over…” Shinoa confirmed annoyedly, and everyone dispersed.
Everyone began packing their blankets in preparation for the journey ahead. After folding his blankets Yuichiro went to Yoichi, who was cleaning up around the previous night’s fire.
“Yoichi, um… did you really see us, last night that is?” Yuichiro blushed and looked down at the ground where he scuffed his shoed feet moodily on the cement.
“Yes,” Yoichi stopped what he was doing to give Yuichiro his full attention.
“So… how much did you see?” Yuichiro looked out at the dim, but ever brightening sky.
“Well, I didn’t really see everything. But I heard quite a bit. From the point that Mikaela woke you, to when you fell asleep. So pretty much everything,” Yoichi admitted sheepishly.
Yuichiro hunched his shoulders and cringed.
“Don’t tell anyone, okay?” He requested.
“Alright,” Yoichi agreed peaceably.
“Thanks. That was a… very private interaction we had last night.”
“Yes, it was very intimate. Or… romantic,” he flitted his eyelashes cheekily at Yuichiro, who elbowed him in irritation.
“Yoichi!” Yuichiro whispered in slight perturbation.
“Come on. Don’t be ashamed. You guys were adorable!” Yoichi attempted to assure Yuichiro, only slighting his pride further.
“I do understand your wanting to keep that private, so I’ll be sure to keep anything I witnessed last night to myself,” Yoichi confirmed his silence on the subject.
“Still, some of those things Mika said to you were really special; y’a know.” The boy added one last thought to his commentary on the previous night’s events.