Chapter Text
Snow and sleet buffeted Angel's face. He could barely see ahead of him through the blizzard. With one hand he did his best to protect his eyes and face from the pinching cold, the other was firmly grasped by the Viera in front of him leading the way. The other viera's right hand raised to protect his eyes the same way Angel's left hand was protecting his. If it weren't for his pitch black hair and garb, along with his firm grip on his hand, Angel would have lost his way ages ago.
“Damn this snow… I… can barely see…” Rune said, breathing heavy. He needed to rest. Much longer and he was bound to get caught in a coughing fit sooner or later. Especially with the cold air irritating his lungs.
“Do you… know… where we are?” Angel spoke through his chattering teeth, utterly frozen from the inside out. How did Rune manage in this kind of weather? While he looked a bit cold, he didn't appear to be as frozen as Angel felt.
“I have… a general idea… but I don't… have any specifics.”
“We need to find…. Shelter… I’m.. f-freezing… and you look like… you're about to collapse.”
Rune growled, he hated having his weaknesses pointed out but Angel was right. “I know… I'm trying… what do you think… I've been doing?”
“Looking for shelter… obviously… I just… wanted to contribute…” Rune could hear the slight pout in Angel's voice. As annoyed as he was, he couldn’t help but smile. Dammit. Why was this bun so cute? Ever since Angel fell, quite literally, into Rune's life nearly a week ago now he hadn't been able to stop thinking about him. It was annoying as hell. A similar thing had happened when he had first met Jace, but even then it wasn’t nearly as bad as this. Jace was strong and capable, skilled with a lance when they first met, and quickly learned to use a scythe upon making his pact with the voidsent. But Angel… He knew practically nothing. He had no apparent combat skills, no survival skills, not even any artisan skills. It seemed whatever caused his amnesia had taken everything from him aside from basic human skills such as walking, talking, and eating. And yet, despite all this there was just something about this dumb clumsy viera that Rune found adorable and made him want to protect him from all harm, physical and emotional.
It was a strange feeling to be sure, this desire to be near him whenever possible, to not leave him alone for too long lest something should happen while he was gone. Rune had absolutely no idea what to do with it. So, naturally, he tried to ignore it. To his utter and absolute failure, because the more he tried to push Angel out of his mind, the more he thought about him.
Gods dammit!
Rune shook his head. He needed to focus. They needed shelter.
“There… up ahead… I think that's one of the outpost cabins… we can stay there… until the storm passes.”
Angel couldn't reply even if he wanted to. His entire body was shivering out of control.
They arrived at the cabin a few minutes later and Rune immediately got to work utilizing the supplies there to get a fire going. Meanwhile, Angel could barely move. He simply stood by the door, arms hugging himself, and waited for Rune to finish with the fire.
He watched as Rune started the fire and moved various pieces of the sparse furniture around the place closer to the hearth. For what for Angel had no idea until Rune started stripping his clothes off.
“Wh…what are you doing!?” he exclaimed.
Rune looked at Angel confused, elbows raised halfway through taking off his undershirt exposing his abs. Angel blushed.
“We need to get out of these wet clothes. You especially with how much you've been chattering. Hurry up!” He finished taking off his shirt and went over to Angel and started helping him take off most of his clothes as well. Laying them out on the table and chairs he had moved over to the fireplace.
Angel hugged his arms again. This time half out of embarrassment as for the cold.
“Okay,” he said a little uncomfortably. “Now what?”
“Now you sit by the fire, dummy, and warm up.”
Angel walked over and sat down by the fire. Rune followed suit and noticed a pair of peculiar markings on Angel's back that looked an awful lot like huge scars. However, there was something strange about them as well. They almost didn't look real.
Interesting. He thought to himself. I've never seen anything like that before. I wonder what kind of wound could have caused those. I imagine nothing good.
After a while Angel continued to shiver by the fire. This wasn't great. He really needed to get his body temperature under control. He was probably already coming down with something. Rune checked their clothes and found that their undershirts were dry at least. He put his back on and gave Angel his then looked around to see if he could find any blankets. There was a bed in the corner but he hadn't seen any furs or blankets upon first entering the cabin and his attention since then had been on making sure their clothes were drying evenly and keeping the fire going. Now that it was a proper blaze, however, he could continue his search of the cabin.
He managed to find a couple blankets in a storage chest. They smelled terrible from being stored for so long, but they were warm. He wished for his own furs and blankets he had had mere days ago, but he had left them in Tailfeather after arriving there with Angel. And there they would stay with the rest of his equipment until he returned with his chocobo to carry them out on his next job.
This was supposed to have been a somewhat easy trek through the Highlands to get to Falcons Nest and then to Foundation. But this blizzard had come out of nowhere and it didn't appear to be letting up anytime soon. Besides it was getting late, and it looked like neither of them were going to be getting much sleep… right… sleep. There was only one bed… not again… why did this keep happening to him?! And why was this such a problem?! Normally, if Angel had been any other stranger, Rune would have easily either taken the bed for himself, or offered it if the stranger appeared to need it more. But with Angel… he hated to admit it, but with Angel part of him wondered what it would be like to cuddle up with him. To hold him close and keep him safe and warm. He blushed just thinking about it. Dammit! Stop this nonsense! He rushed over and gave Angel one of the blankets he'd found.
“Here.”
“Oh! Th… thank you.” Angel accepted the blanket and wrapped it around himself. Rune did the same and sat on the edge of the bed that was to the right of the fireplace.
A few minutes of silence passed. Finally, Rune spoke again, “You're… still shivering. I don't like that.”
“Wh.. what do we do now?”
Rune blushed at the thought. He knew exactly what they should do…
“We… we could try sharing body heat.” He paused, looking away to hide his flushed cheeks which burned hotter than the fire before them. “You really need to raise your body temperature…”
Angel looked confused, “what do you mean by that?”
“Ugh… please don't make me have to spell it out for you.” Rune hid his face in his hand. “It's embarrassing enough as it is… just… think about it, okay? If you feel like you really aren't warming up in a few minutes let me know. I'm going to try and get some rest.”
Rune got up to add another log onto the fire and check the rest of their clothes before going back to the bed and attempted to make himself comfortable. Facing away from the fire so he could hide. From everything.
Of course. He didn't sleep. He was too anxious anticipating Angel to say his name at any minute.
Angel sat close to the fire, shirt on, blanket wrapped around him, but still his cold tremors just wouldn't go away. He was getting worried… Rune had said to tell him if he still felt cold, that they needed to share body heat. How does someone share body heat? It's not something you can give away, is it? Is that why Rune's cheeks flushed at the suggestion? Was it that precious?
Angel stood up and moved over to the bed where Rune appeared to be asleep. He didn't really want to wake him, but he had insisted.
“Um… Rune?” He said hesitantly. “A… are you awake?”
“Hmm? Yeah… I guess I am. What is it? Are you warming up any?”
“N... no… how… how do you share body heat?”
Rune sighed exasperated. “Well then… looks like we have no other choice.” He said, and lifted up the blanket he had on top of him then opened his arm in a welcoming motion.
Angel just looked at him confused. Did… did he want Angel to crawl into the bed with him?!
“Come on, I'm not going to wait for you all night.”
It was Angel's turn to blush beet red. Was he really about to crawl into this bed and cuddle? And with a stranger? This couldn't be happening. But there he was, waiting. Another shiver overtook Angel and he had no choice but to stop thinking and climb onto the bed next to Rune.
As Angel started climbing into the bed, Rune moved over a little closer to the wall to make more room for him. Not knowing exactly how Rune wanted him to get under the blanket with him, Angel simply laid right up against him with his head on Rune's chest near his shoulder. There was no going back now. Wanting to help cover Rune with his blanket as well, Angel wrapped his right arm over his chest and around his body. He waited for Rune to tell him off. That he was stupid and doing it wrong.
But the reprimand never came. Rune said nothing. Instead, he wrapped his own arms around Angel's back. He was so warm. Without thinking Angel settled in under the stale blankets wanting to snuggle closer.
Rune laughed a little uncomfortably, “I take it you're already feeling warmer?”
Angel felt the heat rise to his cheeks. “Sh… Shut up!”
Rune chuckled under his breath. “You are so cute.”
“What!?”
“What!? N- nothing. I didn't say anything.”
“You… think I'm cute? We've only just met?”
“I didn't say anything. Forget about it.”
Angel was about to protest again, press him for more. But another shiver interrupted his thoughts for a second. Rune took the opportunity to hold him a little tighter through the spasm. He really was so warm and cozy, it wasn't long before he was asleep (and perhaps drooling a little) on his chest.