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The sky remains dull and dark, a clear contrast to a few hours ago when the beautiful dark blue covered its wide cambas, when the stars were the ones that shined and not the white pearls that now fall like a gift of apology. Those jewels that gently gather together and slowly form a white blanket that will soon cover the entire city, announcing the arrival of winter a little late.
Through one of the apartment windows, the city begins to dress itself in the purest color there can be, even if the colorful lights and festive decorations try to create a new harmony with their tones and fail, the image they create manages to generate a strange feeling of nostalgia, one that can only arise from the most beautiful chaos.
And in a room where the simplicity reigns, a young man with an eye patch watches attentively the scene unfolding outside, in that world where he now remains distant by a pair of hands embracing his waist. And he smiles lazily when he hears a groan coming from his side.
The boy admires the vision before him, remembering how the night before he walked the streets now covered with a boy by his side, a boy who gives him a familiarity in his little jokes and conversations, managing to warm something he thought had disappeared inside him. His chest vibrates with an agitated heart that does not understand how something that should have healed opened up again, but this time, it did not bleed from the wound.
The cold creeps into the small spaces of the room, and a shiver finally makes him turn his gaze away from the window and move on to the monochromatic-haired boy beside him, who sleeps peacefully, unaware that a young man with an eye patch is watching him with a love that pours out with every caress he leaves on his soft face.
Suo smiles lovingly, the purity of the scene behind him disappearing as his attention travels to his partner, admiring the way the snow will never achieve the purity of the boy he holds in his hands.
He looks at the clock on the bedside table and shakes his head amusedly when he realizes they've overslept by a couple of hours. He knew this would happen when they stayed up so late talking to their friends, catching up after so long without seeing each other, but it was worth it if he could keep seeing the smile of the boy he loves so much for one more minute.
Suo sighs and lets his face fall close to the boy who sleeps peacefully, their foreheads almost touching, their noses inches away from each other. His earrings subtly touch his partner's face, and he hears a grumble that makes him smile even more. He begins to move them delicately with a faint gesture and remains like this for a few minutes, until a beautiful pair of different-colored eyes open lazily.
A beautiful moonlit ocean welcomes him, and the embrace of a beautiful golden sunset completes the embrace. Suo looks at him silently, letting the boy break the grip on his waist, and with his free hand he begins to lazily play with one of his earrings.
“Good morning, sleeping beauty.”
Suo leaves a kiss on his nose, watching as the boy wrinkles it in surprise, before letting out a sleepy smile.
“Good morning, Hayato.”
He continues playing with his earrings, still trying to wake up as best as he can, and Suo can only let himself fall onto the boy's body when he starts to get dangerously close to his earlobe. A raspy laugh comes a second later, and the boy with the eye patch hugs his boyfriend's body when he feels the warmth of his chest seemingly increase with that sound.
Suo hides in the boy's neck, leaving a series of kisses there that make him start to laugh and squirm under the blankets.
“Stop it, Hayato, it's too early.” He makes a fake pout, trying to look pitiful. “Don't start, I just got up.”
“You should have gotten up earlier, now it's too late to go to the bakery.” He sighs tiredly, stroking the burgundy hair of the boy with the eye patch. “I told you we should go to bed early, Haruka.”
“Whose fault is it that this happened, huh?” The boy with two-toned hair gently bites the other's nose, who can only smile amusedly when he kisses him seconds later..
“Out of the two of us I wasn't the one who kept begging until I couldn't take it anymore, just saying.” Sakura rolls his eyes and blushes in embarrassment. “Or are you going to pretend that wasn't the case?”
Sakura snorts and finally lets go of his boyfriend's earrings, moving away as best as he can from the guy who starts hugging him possessively, whispering words he had said the night before and wanted to forget, making him blush more and more. “Stop it, Hayato.”
“But I'm just getting started.”
“Yes, and you have to stop. Remember, we have to go shopping today.” Suo snorts angrily and leaves a slight bite mark on Sakura's neck, causing him to gasp in surprise. “Suo!”
“Okay, I'll stop. I'll make breakfast.” Sakura shakes his head amusedly as he lets their noses touch before giving him a surprise kiss. “Sorry, I really needed my incentive.”
“You're incredible, you could have asked for it like a normal person.” Suo looks at him with an amused smile before walking away from his rival.
“You know we would have ended up doing something else if that had been the case.” Sakura throws one of the pillows at him, completely blushing, and the boy with the eye patch starts laughing amusedly as he easily dodges it.
“Next time it's going to hit you in the head, you wannabe pirate!”
“I love you too, Haruka.”
“Who said anything about loving you!?” Laughter begins to fill the small apartment, which becomes infused with a warmth unknown to the snow, and the lights finally turn on, welcoming a new day.
Sakura smiles shyly, a beautiful shade of pink appearing on his cheeks like a casual greeting as he finishes helping his boyfriend put on his scarf. Suo watches him silently, his beautiful red eye shining with love as Sakura walks away once he is ready, but before he can take another step, Suo takes his hands and pulls him back.
Their lips brush against each other, and he can feel the way his partner's different-colored eyes shine attentively at the boy in front of him. The affection between them explodes casually as their mouths meet in a kiss that sends shivers down Sakura's spine. Suo takes his face delicately and draws him in deeper with a hug that gives the dual-haired boy butterflies.
It lasts a few minutes, and when they pull away, panting and with a beautiful scarlet on each other's faces, they smile at each other in surprise, completely in love despite the years they've spent together.
“Are you ready?” He agrees, letting go of his boyfriend’s waist and taking his hand firmly.
“Yes, let’s go before it gets any later.”
The cold winter breeze greets them excitedly as they leave the apartment, playing around them while the snow covers the city that has accompanied them for years in white, letting the warmth of their hands hide the heat that winter does not know. The purity of the snow is lost in the dust and dirt of their footsteps.
The noise of the street soon makes itself heard, and the familiar faces of old acquaintances greet them excitedly, faces that the passage of time has left its mark on each of them, whose eyes shine differently with new dreams and goals.
Sakura hides in his sweatshirt, embarrassed, watching new faces greet him as if he were a familiar figure, and wonders if they have heard the exaggerated stories of some neighbors from when he was younger, more immature. And Suo looks at him smiling, remembering the scared little cat walking alone a couple of years ago, when the world was too big and painful, when the boy with the eye patch dreamed of a future that he now possesses in his hands.
“What should we buy first?”
Sakura sighs. “Nirei's gift. Remember that the stationery store is usually closed for holidays, which is why we couldn't buy him the notebook that he wanted last year.” Suo nods and puts his hands in his jacket pockets as the cold intensifies. “And then we have to go shopping for things for the house, food and all that, because we won't want to go out later, right?”
Suo shakes his head, amused. “I don't think so.” Sakura nods with a small smile. “What about the gifts for the others?”
“They're ready, we just have to pick them up.” Suo looks at him lazily and Sakura leans on the boy with the eye patch, a slight blush on his cheeks. “It was either that or go out and have to improvise again. It's better than nothing.”
“It's not fair, you know I hate when they interrupt our time together.” Sakura rolls his eyes.
“I know, but they'll come all at once on the same day.”
Suo looks at him with a crooked smile. “Uh... so you already knew this was going to happen.”
“Having such a needy boyfriend prepares you for any occasion.” Sakura gives the other boy a light punch in the stomach despite their clasped hands. “And even more so during this time of year.”
Suo nods amusedly. “What would I do without my attentive cat?”
“Bother everyone else, as usual.” Suo lets out a small laugh.
“You're right.” Suo kisses him on the forehead before pulling away from the other boy's warmth, his hands unable to let go. “Let's get this over with quickly, before it gets any later.”
Sakura rolls his eyes as he is dragged quickly toward one of the shops, unable to complain when he sees the beautiful eye shining with excitement as the minutes pass.
The boy with the eye patch smiles happily when after minutes of walking, they find the store, the gift being meticulously wrapped once they arrive. Sakura observes the store in the meantime, attentive to the old wood and the smell of antiquity that some of the materials in front of him give off, and takes the gift carefully when it is finally finished being wrapped. He imagines the smile on his blond friend's face when he finally has the notebook he wants from the store, and in the process ends up buying a set of pens and ink to go with it, unable to stop thinking about his friend's joy.
Suo ends up having to take him away before he buys more stuff, and Sakura just complains that it's not true. Suo rolls his eyes amusedly, but well, what can be done when the monochromatic boy had a soft spot for his best friend and didn't realize it, that's Sakura, and that's how he made Suo fall in love with him.
The road is filled with jokes between them that seem to make no sense, jokes that speak of memories of a past in which hidden glances were their language. Sakura can't help but laugh when they remember their first days at school together, the way he used to behave and how he is now, happy to have found a family that understands him and a boy who wants his happiness in the same way that he wanted it for the other.
Years have passed, there are new stories, faces, and anecdotes, but Sakura is happy to look back and be able to understand and embrace each one of them, grateful to have grown up, happy to have joined Makochi, glad to have not been afraid to open up to the new experiences that this world gave him, but above all, complete.
It wasn't an easy road, and there are still days when he can't help but feel like he did in the past, but they are not as many as before. He can get up and go on with his day, accompanied and supported by people who make him feel that the weight is lighter.
Sakura looks at the boy with the eye patch hiding behind his red scarf, his hands now full of bags after hours at the market buying things they needed to change in the house, food for parties and gatherings, and little treats. He looks at how his face has grown but still bears some traces of his youth that make him recognizable, that make him fall even more in love, and he leaves a kiss on his cheek, surprising his boyfriend, laughing as he quickens his pace and is pursued by a would-be pirate behind him.
Laughter surrounds him as new pearls fall from the sky, some of them camouflaged in one of the sides of the two-toned haired boy's hair. There are hugs that mess up his hair and manage to get rid of the white blanket on him, there are familiar complaints that the wind carries away like a whisper, and when they finally arrive at his house, there is a white cloak that fails to enter, that does not discover the warmth of a love that hides in a small apartment.
Sakura puts the bags aside, his body falling onto the large sofa once he takes off his sweatshirt and finally allows himself to rest. Suo shakes his head, amused.
“You should take a shower, or you'll catch a cold.”
“I don’t want to, it’s too early, and you’re not going to join me, are you?” Suo walks over to the side of the closet and looks at him with a smile, slowly shaking his head. “Then I don’t want to.”
“It's not a matter of wanting, Haruka.” his boyfriend pouts and Suo leaves a quick kiss on his lips. “Your cute tantrums aren't going to work. Get dressed, I don't want to see you sick.”
“Okay, I'll be right back.” Suo watches him walk away towards the room they share and sighs, relaxing his body and enjoying the scent left behind by his beloved, basking in his warmth as he waits with a smile on his face that springs from the depths of his very being.
Sakura appears a few minutes later wearing an old sweatshirt. It is worn and faded, but he wears it with a smile when he sees Suo looking at him attentively and even more in love, if that's possible. The sweatshirt he is wearing is reddish, with gold details on the side of the sleeves; it is a sweatshirt that Suo gave him when they started dating, just like the scarf he had fixed in the morning.
He approaches the sofa, but this time he settles himself on top of his partner, who hugs him around the waist and makes him sit on his lap while Suo sinks even further into the soft furniture.
“I'm back, did you miss me?”
“It felt like hours.” Sakura rolls his eyes, amused. “But if it's to put on this beautiful sweatshirt, I wouldn't mind waiting longer.”
“Don't question your luck, Hayato.”
“I like doing it, you know I love seeing you annoyed.”
“Sometimes you're a sadist.”
He shrugs. “I'm lucky to have a boyfriend that spoils me so much that he lets me do whatever I want.” His hands begins to play with the edge of his sweatshirt, letting them dance for a few seconds before grabbing the waist that lies naked beneath it, stealing his warmth, and Sakura leaves a mark on his shoulder when he pinches it. “And even more so when he lets me play with him.”
“It's too early to start with your crap.
“What can I say, you're the only person who ruins my training and makes me lose my patience.” Suo kisses him slowly, biting his boyfriend's lower lip as they pull apart, smiling lazily. “I love you.”
“We've only been out for a few hours, and look at you.” Sakura steals a kiss before hugging the boy with the eye patch around the neck. “I find it hard to believe you're the same person who goes to work every morning without complaining.”
He pouts. “You know that's not true. If I could, I'd spend every day by your side.”
“Then let's make the most of the holidays.” Sakura gently cups his boyfriend's face and kisses him on the nose. “Let's relax today, and tomorrow we'll get everything ready for when the guys come over for dinner.”
“I like your indecent proposals, Haruka.”
“I learned from the best.” Suo grabs his boyfriend's waist and pulls him closer, letting the kiss they're sharing deepen, and when Sakura lets out a little moan that dies between their mouths at the careful movement of his hips, he decides he must pull away, panting. “No, Hayato, we had enough yesterday.”
“You're being unfair, Haruka.”
“Maybe, but I don't want to spend another day in bed.”
“Tonight, then?” Sakura snorts in refusal, and he can see the scarlet eye glowing dangerously. “Are you sure?”
“No, we'll probably end up doing something in the bathroom, so I'd rather leave it for later.” Suo lets out a groan. “You're like a child sometimes.”
“That's how you love me.”
“Sometimes I doubt it.”
“You don't mean that.” He kisses his neck, and Sakura lets out a laugh, his hands beginning to play with the ends of his earrings.
“No, I love you, idiot.” Suo smiles, the yellowish light from one of the side lamps shining magically, painting the image in warm tones.
His chest beats, calm but dangerous, his fingertips itch despite holding what he loves most between them, and his body screams insatiably for a closeness he cannot break while his boyfriend's body is on top of him. Something inside him screams with satisfaction at the sight of the sparkle in the different-colored eyes he loves so much, and another screams for a love that is released between little kisses.
Sakura laughs when Suo hides in his favorite spot, the hollow between his shoulder and neck, playing with his earrings with his usual familiarity.
“I love you too, Haruka.”
His voice sounds serious, heavy, and Sakura knows he means it, just like all the other times he's said it to him. He smiles at Suo as he peeks out from behind a small corner, as if he's afraid of something. It's incredible how nothing has changed over time, as they continue to say “I love you” with the same emotion and the same fear.
“I know, it's not your best-kept secret.”
“Neither is yours.”
“Well, I wasn't the one who tried to hide it. I think I was pretty straightforward when I realized I liked you.” Sakura starts playing with the ends of his hair, pushing aside the earrings he likes so much.
“It wasn't my decision, Haruka. Remember that Kotoha had to help you.”
“But I didn't hide it like some others did. Remember that Nirei had to play detective for weeks to help me figure out what was wrong with you.”
“In my defense, if you decide to wear heels on a date, you can't expect me to react normally.” Suo looks at him with a smile. “Especially when you dance with other people and not just me.”
“You're very possessive.” Suo shrugs. “I thought I did something to you without realizing it. God, I even thought we'd never be as close as we were before.”
“And look at us now, living together, loving each other. If only we had declared our feelings back then, we would have been together much sooner.”
“I prefer how things are now. Back then, we had too many problems.”
“I know, but I can't help wondering what it would have been like.”
“Not very different from now, except that maybe you would have made me angrier and I would have blushed at the slightest thing.”
“Is that possible? I thought I'd seen every shade.” His fingers caressing his waist, his eye attentive to the boy who looks at him intently. “Although, if we think back, when we started dating, you used to blush whenever we held hands.”
“Sometimes I love the sound you make when you shut up, Hayato.”
“I love you, Haruka.”
“Whatever you say, get up, I'm starting to get hungry and that stew isn't going to cook itself.” Sakura tries to get up despite his boyfriend's attempts to stop him, both falling to one side of the sofa and finally managing to free themselves amid laughter and complaints. “Come on, Hayato.”
“Is this how you treat your boyfriend after reciting poetry to him? You hurt me.”
“What's going to hurt is your stomach if I decide it's my turn to cook today. You have less than a minute to prevent it.” Suo gets up quickly, seeing the threat gleaming in his boyfriend's eyes, capable of doing the worst thing just to prove his point. “And poetry my ass, all you know how to do is annoy me.”
“It's a nice ass, I must say.”
“Hayato! Less than a minute!”
“I'm coming, I'm coming, join me.”
Sakura rolls his eyes as he walks behind the boy with the eye patch, the kitchen echoing with his shouts and complaints.
Outside, the snow continues to fall, the pearls continue to fall, and its purity becomes tarnished with dirt as the hours pass. The lights shine chaotically, and people walk excitedly as they recount their anecdotes like an incredible story.
And amid the white blanket of winter, in a small apartment, one of the many windows reveals the world of two beings who share a warmth unknown to the purest cold of winter. Making the snow envious as it melts before it can touch them, and the lights that do not decorate their home yet.
And in the back of the closet, inside of one of the jackets that the young man with the eye patch often wears, there is a small box, reddish brown in color, and inside, there is a simple jewel that shines the same color as the different-colored eyes that made him fall in love the first day a boy shouted that he would be the leader of the school.
The jewel shines silently, like a promise that the boy has been considering for years and is finally able to fulfill. Perhaps in a few days it will see the light of day, but for now it remains hidden, listening as its future owner scolds his boyfriend for not paying attention while cutting vegetables.