from august to december

chapter twenty one

flashback, 4 years ago;

"we can't get ice cream in january, yuri!" eden laughed as he watched the other put on his boots and aggressively zipping them up.

"if you want ice cream, i'm gonna go get you ice cream!" he said while raising his index finger to add depth to that statement, and to look like he wasn't joking at all.

because he wasn't.

the at the time blond haired man threw his head back in wild laughter and tried stopping the other as he threw on his coat and a scarf.

"you really don't have to do that, you know," he moved in front of the door, to block yuri's way.

said person stopped wrapping the red scarf around his neck and sighed heavily.

he moved closer to eden, until there was almost no space left between them and rested his hands at either sides of the younger's head, against the black front door.

eden grinned at him like a little child.

"you told me you had a bad day, and i really want to see you happy again."

"i'm happy when you're just with me, i don't need you doing all of these sweet things for me, your presence is more than enough."

yuri jokingly flicked the others nose and took a step even closer, to be able to place a soft kiss on eden's forehead, light as air.

the blond's skin tingled where his lips had just touched his skin.

"but i want to. it's my way of showing you i love you. because i'm so bad at telling you."

people were telling yuri he was different when it came to eden.

it was almost like he cared, like he couldn't ever stand seeing him upset over the smallest things.

eden pushed himself away from the door and wrapped his arms around the older's waist, resting his head in his neck.

it felt warm to be like that.

to just be in each other's arms and forget there was anything else but them.

yuri returned the embrace, pulling eden even closer to him so that nothing could come between them, not the thinnest sheet of paper.

eden's eyes were shining, and every time yuri was trying to paint him, he wanted to bring that glow onto the paper.

but he had never succeeded.

once they gently let go of each other, yuri fished around in his coat for a cigarette that he clipped between his teeth.

"i wanna come with you."

the older laughed at the words and playfully hit his shoulder.

he turned to the right, adjusted his glasses he didn't wear as much anymore nowadays, only while painting, and threw eden's matching black coat at him.

he caught it smoothly, slipping it on and then putting on his sneakers.

yuri just simply watched him.

"oh wait, what's your favorite ice cream flavor?" he suddenly asked out of pure curiosity.

"i don't-"
"'no, don't tell me you don't have a favorite ice cream flavor! that's illegal!"

eden rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"chocolate?" he answered, just randomly naming the first flavor that came to his mind.

"CHOCOLATE?" the other repeated, shocked.

"that's such a boring flavor, how can you even choose that?"
he was clearly offended, which made eden chuckle even more than he already was.

"yeah? i guess i'm pretty average then," he replied while shrugging his shoulders and opening the front door.

yuri immediately followed, lighting the cigarette in his mouth and gracefully blowing the smoke out.

"no, thats not what i meant!" he ran after the younger who was taking big steps towards the local grocery store.

the streets were frozen, smokes of air leaving the blond haired's mouth as he breathed out and he regretted not putting on at least some gloves.

the older came creeping up behind him and before he knew, some red fabric was wrapped around his neck.

the scarf smelled like yuri's cologne as it caressed eden's skin perfectly.

"just, all these unique flavors and you choose chocolate?" yuri tried explaining himself, but the other was just laughing, stretching out his hand and taking yuri's bigger hand in his, intertwining their fingers.

with the other, he adjusted the scarf that was now keeping him warm, instead of its rightful owner.

the smoke of the dark haired's cigarette was beautifully creating shapes as it exited his mouth.

"and what are you gonna do about it?"

yuri chuckled, and then the laugh immediately faded from his face as he quickly tossed the cigarette into the snow.

"oh, i'll show you."

and with that, he playfully started tickling the other, who was trying his best to bend away while throwing his head back in laughter.

it was so light to be with yuri himato.
it felt so alive.

and he didn't ever want this simplicity of just the comforting company of the man bringing him nothing but happiness to end.