Bittersweet in a City of Cold

The sun has set and Haruka just finished buying groceries. His one hand gripped on the paper bag handle filled with ingredients needed for dinner while the other slipped in his coat pocket. The streets were filled with busy people, both heading home and heading to work, and obviously he's one of the former. The lights from the post and billboards made everything outside less dark despite the sun being down. Cold wind slapped in his face making him jolt from the sudden touch. This reminded him that winter is already coming, the season where cold winds blew together with his agony and pain.

He fished his phone from his pocket when it vibrated. It was a text from his sister saying that her boyfriend will be staying for dinner. His eyes twitched as he read the mentioned name. He already saw this coming, reason why he bought dinner enough for three. For the past weeks, her sister's boyfriend had been eating dinner with them as if he doesn't have a home to go back to. But since it's just the two of them at home, he could always welcome anyone who's willing to stay over.

"I'm home." He greeted as he walked towards the kitchen, leaving his shoes by the doorway.

"Welcome home, Haru-nii." His sister came from the living room to greet him. "Aki's staying over."

He placed the groceries in the kitchen counter and smiled at her. "I read your text. But don't you both have exams tomorrow?"

"Oh, don't worry. I'll be leaving right away after dinner." A cheerful voice entered the kitchen, joining them was a guy who, not only has height but also has a face worth being arrogant for.

"If only you have the brains that'll match that." He whispered to himself before plastering an obvious forced smile and facing him. "Good evening to you too, Akihiko. I'll start making dinner now. Can you prepare the bath for me, Yuki?" Haruka asked his sister to which she just replied with a nod.

He faced the sink ready to start cooking not realizing that he was still holding his coat until someone took it from him. He turned and was greeted with a bright smile almost blinding.

"How was work, Haruka?" The chocolate-eyed boy asked.

He turned to the other side, trying to hide the slight flush he felt on his nose. The one to ask this question was supposed to be his sister but for some reason, hearing Akihiko ask him made Haruka feel a slight tingling sensation somewhere in his stomach.

"Fine." He said in his most natural tone of voice, the sensation still lingering longer than wanted. But somehow he doesn't feel like complaining. One by one he started to sort the ingredients he bought.

"What's for dinner?" He heard him ask as he felt him shift closer. He pulled in some air but what entered his line of scent was Akihiko's overrated perfume. Everyone likes the smell of the brand, and at some point he wanted to try it but threw the idea aside for no reason. The guys in his work almost had the same smell, save for the girls, because of the perfume brand and sooner or later, he got sick of the scent. But when the smell came from Akihiko personally, his mind would automatically switch to the idea that he can never get tired of smelling it.

"Haruka?"

He snapped back to reality when Akihiko called his name. And God, does he need to have such good voice? It's like every time he says his name, it shows how everyone else said it the wrong way. But of course that's not true, he was exaggerating and he doesn't like it. In the end, he just decided to focus on making dinner.

"Dinner's just curry." He said and walked towards the table. One reason was to prepare for cooking while the other was to avoid Akihiko.

"Again?" Akihiko groaned. "Don't you know anything other than that?" He asked following him to the table making Haruka's efforts go to waste.

"If you want to eat something else, why don't you do the cooking?" He said and kicked his leg hard, but not hard enough to make the latter cry in pain, and instead cried in laughter.

"But if I'll cook, then Yukina will start to love my foods more than yours." He smirked, mocking him.

It was a mock. It was supposed to insult him, to offend him. But why was he feeling otherwise? Was it because of the smirk? The way his thick brow raised, his chocolate eyes slightly squinting and his pink thin lips curved upward? Or was it just plainly because of Akihiko himself?

"As if your cooking's better than mine." Haruka rolled his eyes and started washing the vegetables.

"In any aspect." Akihiko said, he could still hear the smirk in his voice.

Haruka faced him, brows knitted and eyes squinting. "Are you challenging me?"

Akihiko was used to answering Haruka in a way that would catch him off guard. And knowing that, Haruka braced himself for the worst, but the former never fails to surprise him. One step was all it took for Akihiko to be in front of Haruka, face just inches away from each other. And at that moment, Haruka quickly pulled a sharp breath and held it on impulse.

"Are you up for it?" He asked, looking down on the man with vegetables on trembling hands. They were the same age and both boys, however Haruka wasn't blessed with height as much as Akihiko was. But never once did Haruka feel grateful about this, until 5 seconds ago. Because of this he had a very reasonbale reason why he was avoiding his gaze.

"Ah! Are you guys fighting again?" Yukina's voice broke the confining silence between them making him breathe.

"Finally you're out. Now get this tall monster away from me. He's making me lose focus here." He said and meant it one way and another. Haruka pushed Akihiko's back towards his sister.

"C'mon why are you always fighting?" She asked, more entertained than worried. "Makes me think it was a bad thing dating Akihiko." Yukina laughed while circling her arms around her boyfriend. And that sight alone made Haruka's chest sting.

"We're not fighting. Just having fun is all." He said, winking at Haruka who's stinging chest disappeared in one second.

"Haru-nii, the bath's already warm. You can hop in after making dinner." Yukina said before the two of them moved to the living room, arms linked to each other.

"You two, don't slack off! You better study!" He reminded them as a good brother he is, but just received a giggle as an answer making him smile as he shook his head.

The next day was everything but fine. He had to take the whole day off because of something called a cold which in the past years he tried his best to avoid. First was because he needs to work for his sister and second was to not make his sister worried. In general, it was solely because of his sister. Ever since their parents passed away, he carried the burden of feeding and sending his sister to school as a parent would. He has been a responsible son a good brother, not letting anything block his way from accomplishing something. Until this cold came along for some reason he doesn't know.

"I said just stay at home!" Yukino shouted while slamming the door behind her. "If I know that you've left the apartment I. WILL. LEAVE. THIS. HOME. OKAY!?"

It was the first time Yukina was strict to him that even Haruka doesn't know how to react. Usually it was him restricting her from doing things solely because of concern but now that he's the one being restricted, it feels somewhat new to him. Though some part of him was happy, he didn't expect his little sister, who was just clinging to him crying over spoiled candy, to be now mature and responsible.

"Okay, okay. I'll stay here. Now go to school!" He said and let his sister tuck him in bed, though he absolutely thinks it's not necessary.

"I'll be back to bring lunch so you just rest there." She said while pointing at her brother. "I'll be going now." And with that, she left with an untrusting look to which Haruka just laughed in response.

When everything in their apartment was quiet, he was left staring at the ceiling blankly. Now what was he to do? He cant make lunch because his sister will find out that he's been working. He also can't clean because the place was already sparkling. After some time mentally running down a simulation, he got out of his bed and decided to wash himself. Though he can't do a full bath, he can't possibly make it throughout the day without at least wiping himself.

Once inside the bathroom, he damped a towel on a warm water and brushed his teeth while waiting for it to be completely soaked. After wiping his whole body clean and changing into new clothes, refresh washed over him as he breathe in an amount of air that was enough to flood away his cold. Or at least that's what he thought.

He stared at the clothes that needs to be washed which were mostly Yukina's. Since he can't bare lazing around for the whole day, he thought doing laundry wouldn't be a bad idea. Haruka tends to wash his clothes immediately after changing them if he has time but Yukina's not like that. She might be mature and responsible, in which her brother was proud of her, but as the younger sibling, laziness is always the top of their trait list and it's default. He sorted the clothes and decided to only wash little garments and that doesn't include undergarments. Yukina, despite being lazy, has enough moral and dignity to wash her own.

Among the ones that he assorted was an unfamiliar white handkerchief with gold linings. He searched for anything else to hint who might own this and noticed an A embroidery at the bottom corner of the cloth making him freeze. It didn't specifially mean anything, or does it. He doesn't know and it's not like he doesn't care. Without knowing why, his hands shifted closer to his face and stop just by the tip of his nose. A mixture of something rushed in him as a familiar scent entered the walls of his nostrils, his mind finalized the realization that it was Akihiko's. Why was it there?

His sister probably borrowed it or he, as a gentleman as he is, lent it to her. Countless reasons he felt envious towards her sister. One because of her carefree-ness life, two because of her burdenless youth and third, because she's closer to Akihiko, one way or another. He was shameless, proudly seeing himself as a good brother while having feelings for his sister's boyfriend. He was guilty and he doesn't doubt that.

The thought made him lose interest in doing anything other than lazing around, doing nothing. He rarely has days like this so he might as well enjoy it. The unwanted thoughts were bugging him endlessly until eventually, he fell asleep.

Just like what she said, Yukina brought lunch and they ate together. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Akihiko wasn't with them. It seemes that Yukina had classes early for the afternoon so she left ahead of time, almost immediately after they finished lunch. Again, with the whole apartment devoid of any noise and all for himself to spend, he fell asleep. He wakes at something making him wince. He forced his heavy eyes open and was greeted by chocolate eyes, staring intently at him. The remaining of his weariness banished as he stared at the eyes blinking at him.

The brown almond eyes squeezed, an effect caused by the guy's lips curving. "Good morning, Haruka."

His eyes widened as he jolts up to sit. Their foreheads crashed at the movement, earning a groan of pain from the both of them. Haruka's brows knitted and he whipped his head to Akihiko, hands on his forehead.

"What are you doing here!?" He shouted.

Akihiko laughed and sat beside him. "Why are you so cranky?" He smiled, tilting his head towards him and leaning against the couch. "I just came to visit you."

Haruka doesn't know if it was the fever or just because of embarrassment that he felt his body heat up, sweat starting to form from his still aching forehead. He can't possibly enter their apartment without a key so he must have been with Yukina.

"Oh, Yukina's out to buy medicines since your fever's starting to rise." He stood up and walked towards the kitchen. He was holding a glass of water when he came back. "She told me to look after you for a while."

He accepted the glass that was reached out to him and gratefully drank it. The water ran down through his throat cleansing his thirsty and dry mouth and eventually cooling him down. He turned to look at Akihiko who's back now curved down, legs crossed while scrolling down his phone. He was wearing his casual plain tee matched with jeans, a very common and norm outfit these days but with him wearing it, it became practically new to his eyes. Any clothes would probably fit the guy with his well-toned body, which was not slim but also not too buffy. Perfect, he thought.

"What's wrong?"

His eyes raised to Akihiko's face. Thick brows, almond deep eyes, pointy nose, pink thin lips and unfairly chiseled jawline resided in his undoubtly perfect face. When he notices that he's been staring for not longer than a minute now, his eyes casually trails towards the table in front of them, focusing on nothing in particular.

There was eerie silence between them but instead of feeling awkward, in fact, he felt comfortable. Maybe the fact that Akihiko was just beside him banned the unwanted thoughts from invading his mind.

"Do you want to lay down?" He heard him ask in his most gentle tone, or at least that's how he heard it. Either way it still felt somewhat soothing. But Haruka doesnt shows it, he never did.

"I would if you were not there." He said without looking at him.

"My lap doesn't fit your tastes in pillows?" He laughed, obviously meaning it as a joke.

"Not really." He straight out blurted making the brunette guy halt his giggles. And at that moment, he knew he messed up. "I mean, I want my pillows flat. Yours could compare to the very least." He reasons, trying to take back whatever nonsense he just said. Thank goodness Akihiko didn't find it weird.

"You're always welcome to try." Akihiko said, making him turn to him. The latter was smiling, grinning actually. "Free of rent." He added making him heat up more. He wonders if he ever blushed in front of Akihiko before or if he ever saw him. And if he did, well he'll be damned.

They hear the door click and footsteps approaching the living room. There entered Yukina with a brown paper bag in hand, probably filled with dinner and medicines.

"Oh, Haru-nii you're already awake." She takes off her coat and approached him. "God, why is Okinawa so cold, it's not even winter--" She pauses as she feels her brother's temperature through the back of her hand. "Why are you so hot?" Instead of replying, he just sighed. He doesn't know either.

After another day of fighting with his sister if he should work or not and eventually losing so he again enjoys lazing around, Haruka's cold has already vanished. The sky bled orange as the sun peeked from the horizon. The muted dawn sneaked by the window in his room where he was admiring the sunrise. When he thought that fall was cold, it wouldn't have compared to how the temperature dropped when winter came along. He had to turn up the heat in his room and as if that wasn't enough to fight the cold, he covered himself with layers of comforters. He gave up agonizing the cold in his room and decided to start his day with coffee.

When winter replaced autumn, the siblings had already laid out their kotatsu, earlier than usual actually. When Haruka went to the living room with a cup of coffee in hand, he found Yukina snuggling comfortably under their kotatsu. He was worried that she was sleeping out here since the cold in Okinawa is no joke but was slightly relieved that his sister wasn't actually sleeping. In fact, it seems that she haven't got enough sleep. The dark circles under her eyes said so. When the dusk of fall arrived, Yukina has been acting cold towards him and Akihiko was avoiding him. Haruka wants to talk about it but Yukina draws an obvious wall to let her brother mind his own business. But he can't keep tolerance towards Yukina. As her brother, he needs to know if something had happened.

"Yukina." He called out and took a short pause, wondering what he would say. "Are you okay?" Was the first thing that came to mind.

"Yeah." Yukina answered coldly, colder than today's temperature.

Yukina has never been the type to act all secretish towards him, probably because he spoiled her enough.

"Something happened, didn't it?" He asked slowly. He doesn't know if he's invading privacy or not but for him, what matters is his sister's facing some problem he doesn't know about.

He heard a hiss from her and a sigh after. Haruka saw how the kotatsu ruffled and then she was standing just in front of him, eyes staring down, cold and dead. "We broke up and guess whose fault it is?"

To be continued