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themusesofmars · 5 years

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Fanfiction posted - Good Omens

”The Fall” Synopsis: Aziraphale is having the bookshop renovated and finds it’s true what they say: nearly half of all accidents occur in the home. (Mortal/Human A/U) Ineffable Husbands Week, day 3 prompt: “Fall.” Read below, or on Archive of Our Own or FFNET! “How much longer is this going to take?” Crowley complained, pacing around the middle of the bookshop floor, kicking at debris.

From high atop a ladder, where he was perched with a paintbrush in his hand, Aziraphale looked out at the tarp-covered bookcases, stacks of both old and new wood planks, and fragments of plaster and miscellaneous rubble littering the ground. “Oh…two more weeks, at least,” Aziraphale estimated.

“Not for the entire renovation,” Crowley snapped. “I meant how long before you’re finished with whatever you’re doing up there so we can go and get lunch!”

“Oh.” Aziraphale appraised the column he’d been painting. He was replacing the brown paint with gold. Actually, the columns had been bronze, once upon a time, but their gleam had faded and dulled, and he wanted them looking extra shiny and new. But it was a lot of work for one person. He’d hired a crew to do the heavy lifting, of course—the staircase replacement, the flooring work, the major repairs. But he’d thought it would be a waste of money to hire someone to paint. Anyone could paint. All you needed was a bucket and a brush and a nice, tall ladder. “Well, you’re in luck,” he said, sensing Crowley’s impatience. “I was just about to take a break.”

“Excellent! To the Ritz, then?”

As Aziraphale had suspected, Crowley was talking with his stomach. He got a bit testy when he was hungry. Or tired. Or bored.

“That sounds brilliant,” Aziraphale said agreeably. “I’ll be down in two shakes.” The ladder shuddered beneath his weight as if to demonstrate his point as he put the lid back on the paint can and began his descent.

“Be careful!” Crowley shouted up at him. “I can’t catch you if you fall.”

Aziraphale said nothing. Crowley was quite testy, which meant he must be very hungry. So he tried to descend the ladder as quickly as he could, while at the same time trying to take off his paint-splattered apron.

“One thing at a time, Aziraphale!” Crowley sounded a bit shrill. Then he was crying out in genuine fear, watching helplessly as Aziraphale’s foot missed a step and the man went careening from the ladder straight to the floor.

“AZIRAPHALE!” Crowley screamed. He dove to the fallen man’s side, but it was too late. “Angel!” he pleaded frantically. He was afraid to move him, almost afraid to touch him. But he checked for a pulse with one hand while his other was fumbling with his cell phone to dial 9-9-9.

It was the sounds he noticed first. There were all sorts of unfamiliar hums and beeps amidst the buzz of distant chatter. And he was cold, very cold.

Aziraphale opened his eyes and his vision slowly came into focus. The second thing he noticed was how ugly the ceiling was.

“Aziraphale! You’re awake!”

He turned his head stiffly, just in time to see Crowley leap from a chair to his bedside. He parted his lips to speak but his mouth was dry and his throat was sore.

“Hold still,” Crowley ordered. “My darling,” he murmured, kissing Aziraphale’s forehead, then his nose, then the rest of his face. “My darling idiot. Don’t you ever scare me like that again.”

“I’m not even sure what happened,” Aziraphale confessed hoarsely, once Crowley had given him room to breathe and a small sip of cool water.

“You’re in the hospital, you fool,” Crowley said, his words harsh but his tone gentle. He ran his fingers through Aziraphale’s soft, blond curls, barely able to resist climbing onto the hospital bed with him, just to feel him close. “You fell off that stupid ladder—just like I said you would.”

“I…I did? Oh, good heavens.” Aziraphale struggled beneath the thin sheet, wiggling the feeling back into his hands before reaching up and fingering the stiff collar around his neck. “Oh, good heavens…” he breathed again, realization dawning on him. He could have been killed.

Crowley was right to be furious. “I’m not letting you set one foot on that thing again, do you hear me?”

“That’s…probably for the best.”

“Don’t argue with me, Angel. We’ll hire someone to finish the painting, and all the rest, too.”

“For once I’m in complete agreement with you.”

“And another thing—oh, you’re what?” Crowley was startled into silence. Then he said, “Oh. Well, that’s fine, then.” He seemed almost disappointed to cool his temper. He quickly fired it up again. “It serves you right. You’ll be living off hospital food for a week, and I’m not sorry.”

Aziraphale’s face crumbled. “Oh, no, please,” he begged mournfully. “It isn’t fair. I didn’t mean to fall.”

Crowley tried and failed to maintain his angry face. “I know,” he sighed at last. “That’s why I brought these.” He grabbed a bag of donuts from a side table and held them up for Aziraphale to see. They were from his lover’s favorite bakery.

“Oh! Oh, Crowley, you’re so good to me,” Angel crooned at him.

“Shut up,” Crowley grumbled, sounding far more annoyed than he truly was. “I should beat you with the bag and make you eat mashed up donuts for what you put me through.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, love,” Aziraphale said fretfully. “I promise I won’t let it happen again.”

“Good.” Crowley dropped the donut bag onto Aziraphale’s stomach unceremoniously. “Get rid of those before the nurses see them. I’ll go find you a blanket.”

#Good Omens #Ineffable Husbands #Ineffable Husbands Week #Good Omens fanfiction #Good Omens fanfic #I kind of prefer them human #The danger is real

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themusesofmars · 5 years

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Fanfiction posted - Good Omens

MESOPOTAMIA: 3004 BC “Ah…here comes the rain,” Aziraphale said. “I noticed,” Crawly snapped, blinking as plump droplets splashed his eyes. The wind was picking up as the sky further darkened, tossing his long, red curls over his shoulders. He watched with something deeper than pity in his heart as men, women, and even children scurried to get home to their village, hoping to be safe from the storm. It was saddening to think that those same families and their homes would soon be underwater. “Well…shall we be off?” Aziraphale asked Crawly through a forced smile. Crawly’s attention snapped back to the angel. “You’re just going to leave these people to drown then, are you?” Aziraphale was visibly uncomfortable by his decision, but it seemed his mind was made up. “The Almighty’s plan has been set in motion. If we stay here, we may be drowning ourselves, as well.” “I can’t believe you!” Crawly drew back in repulsion, as if he did not even recognize the creature standing next to him. “Which of us is the demon here?” Click one of the following links to continue reading on AO3 or FFNET!

#Ineffable Husbands Week #Ineffable Husbands #Good Omens #Good Omens fanfiction #Good Omens fanfic

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themusesofmars · 5 years

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Fanfiction Posted - Good Omens

It’s Ineffable Husbands Week! Day 1 prompt: music. “Mood Music” Synopsis: Hoping for a little action, Crowley puts on some music to set the mood. But he and Aziraphale have vastly different tastes. Read on Archive of Our Own or FFNET, or continue on below...

“Crowley, wait,” Aziraphale mumbled against the lips hungrily kissing his mouth. “Wait, Crowley.” Crowley did not wait. Aziraphale felt the demon’s mouth trail lower as the other man’s face pressed against his neck. Crowley’s arms were around him, hands grasping gently. And his hips were… “S-stop, I said!”

“…Hrm…?” Crowley’s wordless question was muffled against Aziraphale’s throat. He blinked slowly as if coming out of a daze as he drew back and his golden eyes focused on the angel’s face.

“…Crowley,” Aziraphale said again, pressing his palm firmly against the other man’s chest.

“Oh—got it.” Crowley licked his lips, finding them swollen and tender, and drew back. He’d been so into it, he hadn’t even realized that he’d pinned the angel down on his black leather sofa until Aziraphale had snapped him out of it. “Too fast?” he assumed. “I didn’t mean to… I just wanted to kiss you.”

Aziraphale sat up the instant there was enough space between them to do so, then set about adjusting his clothing. “It isn’t that,” he murmured, his face flushed and his collar feeling suddenly altogether too tight for comfort.

Sensing their rendezvous was about to come to a decided end, Crowley desperately sought for any words he could think of that would make the angel stay. “We don’t have to… We can take a break for a bit. Can I get you something to drink? We can take a little time to cool down before we try again. Just the kissing,” he added quickly.

Aziraphale gave him a half-hearted smile. “It’s not that, Crowley. I was enjoying the…everything. I just… Well, I cannot concentrate with that noise droning on in the background!”

The serpent’s eyes widened, then he hissed. “But that’s George Michael,” he said, bewildered. “Careless Whisper is a classic. Doesn’t it put you right in the mood? That sax is sexy, Aziraphale. The sexiest.” Aziraphale seemed unconvinced. “Come on, it’s romantic. You have to feel that it is.”

“I don’t like the lyrics.” Aziraphale was seated with his hands resting on his lap, frowning and looking quite discomfited. “It… It’s about infidelity.” He whispered it like a dirty word. “That’s not very romantic to me. Not romantic at all.”

Crowley turned to face Aziraphale, drawing his legs up until he was kneeling. He took the angel’s hands in his and lifted them to his lips and kissed his fingers, and Aziraphale only resisted a little. “Listen to me, Aziraphale,” Crowley said, staring into the angel’s eyes. Aziraphale seemed to have a hard time meeting his gaze, so Crowley reached up and cupped his cheek. “Look at me,” he said softly, gently turning Aziraphale’s face towards him while squeezing his hand. “The words don’t mean anything. I was just trying to set the mood. Don’t like them? Gone.” He snapped his fingers and the music continued to play softly, without George Michael’s mournful crooning.

Aziraphale’s lips twitched as he almost smiled. “That’s a bit better,” he admitted.

“Then…can I kiss you again?” Crowley asked, unable to help sounding a little impatient.

“All right, then,” Aziraphale said uncertainly.

The words were hardly out of his mouth before Crowley’s hands were gripping his shoulders, pressing him eagerly back down against the cushions. Ignoring the soreness of his lips, Crowley resumed kissing the angel. Yet the song was still getting to Aziraphale.

“No, no. I still hear it.” Aziraphale shook his head determinedly and Crowley drew back with a heavy sigh to let the angel sit up. “I’m sorry, Crowley, but I just can’t!”

Crowley snapped his fingers again and the music shut off completely.

They sat there silently for a while, Aziraphale a little huffy and a little sorry and awkward all over; Crowley mostly frustrated, but not truly with Aziraphale.

“I think I should go,” the angel said at last, slowly rising from the couch.

“Good idea.” Crowley stood up. “I think I’ll join you.”

Aziraphale turned to Crowley with astonishment.

“This always happens when you come over,” Crowley accused hotly. “I know it’s not me, so it must be my apartment that’s killing the mood. So I say we go back to your place.” He was already on his way to the door. “There’s nowhere more romantic than a bookshop, really, if you think about it.”

Aziraphale followed Crowley to the door and they donned their jackets. He looked rather pleased. “I’ll make tea.”

“Wine will do. And we can listen to whatever music you like. Or none at all, if you prefer.”

The angel’s cherubic face beamed as Crowley held the apartment door open for him.

#Ineffable Husbands Week #Ineffable Husbands #Good Omens #Good Omens fanfiction #Good Omens fanfic

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themusesofmars · 5 years

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Fanfiction Posted - FFXV

We’ve been working on this fic for over a year and it’s gotten really huge! For now we’re just posting a couple of chapters to see if people are interested in seeing more. So, if you are, please leave us a comment! “The School of Love and Heartbreak” Rating: explicit Synopsis: (College A/U) Under suspicious circumstances, Senator Regis Lucis Caelum's son, Noctis, is expelled from Galahd Business Academy. He is forced to transfer to Insomnia University, where he catches the eye of one teaching assistant, Ignis Scientia, and the ire of another, Ravus Nox Fleuret. Noctis is drawn into an intense love triangle, vying with Ravus for Ignis's attention despite the dangers of becoming involved with his instructor. Meanwhile, another professor, Ardyn Izunia, has designs on Ravus, and a lover from Noct's past wants him back. With his standing at the university and his reputation as a prominent political figure's son on the line, will Noct choose to do what's right, or what's in his heart? Read on Archive of Our Own.

#ffxv #final fantasy xv #ignoct #fleurentia #ffxv fanfiction

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themusesofmars · 5 years

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So grateful for the chance to participate in this amazing zine! Please look forward to it!

We’re so excited to announce the full list of participants for cor aut mors! We can’t wait to see what our team will come up with, and hope you’re all as excited as we are!

Our team consists of a total 11 artists and 6 writers. Check below to see all of our talented participants’s social media links– be sure to check out their work!

We want to thank everyone again for their support and interest in our little project for the former prince of Tenebrae. We wouldn’t have a zine without our participant’s enthusiasm, and all of the support that’s come from everyone else interested in it as well. We’re so grateful for everyone’s continued encouragement as we get this zine off the ground, and would appreciate anyone sharing this list to get the word out to all Ravus fans out there!

Keep reading

#Final Fantasy XV #Ravus Nox Fleuret #Ravus #FFXV #FFXV zines

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themusesofmars · 5 years

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Fanfiction posted - Suikoden

“These Vows I Make” I wrote this a while back and don’t believe I ever did post it. I was replaying Suikoden and felt inspired to write about Flik and Odessa. I really liked Odessa and I loved that a woman was the initial leader of the rebellion against the Empire. Hope you enjoy. Synopsis: Flik and Odessa share one last night together, making promises both desire more than anything to keep. They were alone in her room, warmed by the feel of one another’s skin and surrounded by the gentle glow of candlelight. But despite having tried to loosen it for the last hour, Odessa Silverberg could still feel the tension lingering on Flik like a coat of sweat, his bare body radiating heat beneath hers. He lay on his stomach and she on his back, and even with his head resting on his folded arms, his gaze facing away from hers, Odessa knew his eyes were open and his thoughts were restless. She couldn’t remember ever having been unable to put his mind at ease before, but tonight he was unusually troubled. Her coppery mane rained over his shoulder as Odessa leaned forward and trailed kisses along Flik’s leanly muscled spine. Her lips tasted new scars that hadn’t been there when their journey first began. Was she responsible for them? No, she reassured herself; the blame laid with this accursed war—with the damned Empire. The Liberation Army’s doyenne heaved a breathy sigh and abandoned her plot to seduce her vice commander from his sense of duty. Maybe in the beginning he had joined the rebellion for her sake alone, but it had come to be a cause he believed in just as strongly as she did. So, while the rest of her council had long since retired for the night, Lady Odessa Silverberg opened the floor for one last debate this evening. “You’re angry I let them go,” she surmised. Grady, the military commander of Rockland, had strung up the leaders of the Mt. Seifu bandits, Varkas and Sydonia, and left them to starve to death. Odessa had sent a small group of newcomers to enact a rescue operation in the dusty little town to the east. And not everyone approved of her decision—including her lover. Want to continue the story? Read on FFNET Read at Archive of Our Own

#suikoden #suikoden fanfiction #suiko #gensosuikoden #suikoden fanfic

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themusesofmars · 5 years

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Fanfiction Updated - Jem

Oops! I wrote Chapter 10 ages ago and forgot to ever post it! Thanks so much for reviewing. Without your kind words, I would forget about this story! Thanks to your gentle reminder, kind reader, the fic has been updated with Chapter 10 now, and the next two scenes are in-progress, so stay tuned! Synopsis: A beloved member of Jem and the Holograms goes missing. After agonizing, sleepless nights and a harrowing search, the hopes and dreams of America’s sweetheart pop group are torn apart when the heart and soul of the band is found dead. Read on FFNET Read at Archive of Our Own

#Jem #JemandtheHolograms #JATH #JemFanfiction #JemFanfic

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themusesofmars · 5 years

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Thanks for the blog!

Cleaning Out My Closet

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2F8ZrQu

by The_Muses_of_Mars

After goodbyes have been said, there’s only one thing left to do: clean out your closet.

EXCERPT:

So. What was in this mysterious, unassuming little box?

Noct held it in his lap for a while, his hand resting on the lid as if resting on his beloved’s chest, feeling his heart beating inside. It was roughly the size of a shoebox, but heavier than a pair of shoes should be. At length, the king said, “Forgive me for prying, my love. I just can’t bear the thought of there being some remaining piece of you that wasn’t a part of me.”

Words: 1873, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Final Fantasy XV

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Major Character Death

Categories: M/M

Characters: Noctis Lucis Caelum, Ignis Scientia

Relationships: Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia, IgNoct - Relationship

Additional Tags: Sad

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2F8ZrQu

#IgNoct #do you like tears?#have some cry fuel #here's what I do at 3am #ffxv ignoct

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themusesofmars · 5 years

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Fanfiction Posted - Final Fantasy XV

As a token of goodwill and friendship, Insomnia hosts a New Year’s Eve ball and invites the Empire to attend as the two great kingdoms of Eos celebrate the engagement between Prince Noctis and Princess Lunafreya. But not everyone’s rejoicing. (Noct x Ignis, Gladio x Prompto)

Read “Happy New Year” on Fanfiction.Net.

Read “Happy New Year” at Archive of Our Own.

Recommended listening: “Waltz for the Moon,” from the Final Fantasy VIII soundtrack.

This story was so much fun to write! It was interesting to see how Insomniacs and Imperials would interact at a cordial social gathering. And can’t help but enjoy humiliating Gladio. lol Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

#ignoct #promptio #ravus nox fleuret #lunafreya #final fantasy xv fanfiction

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themusesofmars · 5 years

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This A/U is never far from my thoughts. The last year of my life has been extremely hectic but I have every intention of continuing this theme and creating a series of IgNoct buddy cop fics. I’m just waiting for the right inspiration to strike. Thank you for reading.

How IgNoct Saved Christmas

Happy holidays, @lhugbereth! Your @ignoctsecretsanta request was “AU-ish and IgNoct’s first time/still working out the kinks.” I’ve come up with a buddy-cop IgNoct A/U for you, in which Ignis and Noctis butt heads, fall for each other, and save Christmas! All in a night’s work. ;) I had a blast writing this story, and I really hope you enjoy it. It’s quite long, so rather than post to Tumblr, I’ve just linked to my online fanfiction-hosting accounts. Title: How IgNoct Saved Christmas Rating: PG Warnings: mild language and brief violence Word count: 14,000+ Synopsis: Detective Noctis Lucis Caelum is king of the Insomnia Police Department. But Detective Ignis Scientia has just transferred to the Insomnia precinct from Tenebrae and threatens to put a serious cramp in Noct’s style by shoving rules and regulations down his reluctant throat. Noct and Ignis subsequently butt heads, fall for each other, and save Christmas! All in a night’s work. Read on Archive of Our Own (*includes bonus content*) Read on FFNET

#ignoct #ffxv christmas #ffxv #noctis lucis caelum #ignis scientia #ignoct has my heart #i am writing #tgif #happy holidays

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themusesofmars · 5 years

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Another winter, and still dreaming about OtaYuri.

Fanfiction Posted - Yuri!!! on Ice

Good evening! Hope everyone is enjoying the season. The @otayuriwriterscollective is hosting a winter event for our favorite pairing from Yuri!!! on Ice, and we couldn’t resist joining in! Prompt: “Baby, it’s cold outside!” Title: “Keep Me Warm” Rating: General Synopsis: Yuri was excited to meet up with his friend, Otabek, over the holidays and do some sightseeing around New York City. But he was unprepared for how cold it would be in the city in winter…or for how Otabek would keep him warm. Read on FFNET Read at AO3

Yuri stepped out of the hotel building and shivered as the icy winter air whipped through his hair and tossed the blond strands wildly around his face. He quickly pulled his hood over his head and zipped up his jacket. He’d been aware of the low temperature today, but he had plans with Otabek, so not even the cold could chase him back inside.

Otabek had texted him just a few minutes ago to say he was already outside and would buy them some hot chocolate from a pastry truck on the street. The two of them had flown to New York City to hang out and do some sightseeing for the holidays. Just because Yuri was used to the cold didn’t mean he liked it, and he was grateful when he saw Otabek at the curb just down the block, tucking his wallet into his back pocket before reaching for two steaming styrofoam cups. Their eyes met from the short distance and Yuri couldn’t fight back a smile. He tucked his chin into his collar to hide it and briefly waved a hand in greeting before shoving it into his pocket to keep it from being chapped by the wind.

They had come to the United States on different flights, so this was actually the first time they’d seen each other since arriving in New York. But as excited as Yuri felt, Otabek did not appear to share his enthusiasm. The taller man was walking towards him with a deep frown marring his handsome face.

When Otabek reached him, Yuri didn’t have to try anymore to hide a smile, because it had faded away. He had been anxious to see his friend again for the first time after the Grand Prix Finals skating competition, during which Yuri had won the gold medal, and had wondered how they would greet each other: with a shake of hands, a hug? Now all Yuri could think to offer was a flat, “Hey.” He kept his hands in his jacket pockets.

“Yuri,” Otabek said sternly, looking him over. “Where is your coat? Aren’t you cold? You must be; I can see your breath.”

Yuri was taken aback, but come to think of it, Otabek was snugly bundled up in a black winter coat and had on a scarf and gloves, to boot.

“I d-d-didn’t bring one with m-m-me,” Yuri was forced to admit through chattering teeth. “Hadn’t expected it to be this c-cold.”

It was then he realized the expression on Otabek’s face wasn’t one of disappointment or annoyance or boredom; he was concerned.

“Are you serious?” Otabek pushed one of the cups at him immediately. “Here. Drink this. It will help a little.”

Yuri accepted the drink with both hands, grateful for the heat that seeped from the cup to toast his palms.

“You can’t stay out here all day in that thin little jacket. Come on,” Otabek said, waving for Yuri to follow him. “There are plenty of shops on this street; let’s find you a real coat.”

“Uh…Otabek,” Yuri said, scampering to keep up, “we have a lot of things to do this weekend, you know? I mean, I didn’t budget for buying clothes.”

“This is more important than souvenirs,” Otabek said without hesitation. They walked to the end of the block when he spotted a men’s clothing store across the street. They waited on the corner until the crosswalk light lit up, then Otabek threw an arm out to his side to block Yuri from bolting right into the street. Instead Otabek checked both directions for traffic, then to the younger man’s surprise he took Yuri’s hand and walked him safely across the street. Yuri was so surprised he didn’t immediately return the pressure of Otabek’s fingers around his, but as soon as they were safely out of the street and standing once more on the sidewalk, Otabek let go.

Otabek approached the shop and pulled open the front door, holding it for Yuri. Yuri looked up at the sign overhead. It read, “Giorgio’s Classic Menswear.”

“Otabek, I don’t know,” Yuri said hesitantly. “This place looks expensive.”

“Go in,” Otabek ordered, so Yuri did.

Inside, the shop was filled with men’s designer suits, fashionable tuxedos, silk ties, and cashmere sweaters. This was definitely not the type of place Yuri typically shopped. He wasn’t broke by any means, but when he bought clothes, it was because he liked the print or the design, not because it had a fancy name brand. “Otabek, let’s get out of here,” Yuri pleaded quietly as his friend followed him into the store and let the door close behind them. “I’m sure we can find an outlet mall or something cheaper than this.”

“You need a coat, so I’m buying you a coat,” Otabek gently argued. “It’ll be your Christmas present, okay? So don’t ask me to get you something cheap.”

Yuri felt his face grow warm. “Oh… Okay.”

“May I help you?” asked a voice.

The two young men turned to see a very well-dressed man approaching. His nametag read, “Richard.”

Otabek placed a hand on Yuri’s shoulder. “My friend needs a coat,” he explained.

“Certainly. Right this way, gentlemen.”

Otabek removed his hand from Yuri’s shoulder to follow after the clerk, and Yuri almost shivered again. How was he able to feel Otabek’s warmth through his friend’s gloves? And why did he feel so cold each time Otabek let go?

“Doing some sightseeing today?” Richard asked as they trailed after him deeper into the store.

“Yes,” Otabek answered.

“Then you’ll definitely want something a bit warmer,” the man agreed, glancing over his shoulder at Yuri in his black and leopard-print jacket. “Here we are,” he announced, leading them to a corner with several racks of fancy coats and designer jackets. “Everything with a red tag is part of our after-Christmas sale; everything else is part of our new collection. Just let me know if you need any assistance.”

Otabek nodded as the man left them and said, “Thanks.”

“Good.” Yuri sounded relieved. “Let me find something on sale.”

He started towards the racks, but Otabek caught his arm. “Yuri,” he argued, “just…find something you like. Okay?”

Yuri looked up but the expression Otabek wore made his face feel even hotter. “Can you hold my drink? And my jacket?”

“Of course.” Otabek accepted the hot chocolate and held out his arm for Yuri to drape his thin jacket over it, then claimed a lounge chair next to a tie display and waited for Yuri to try on a few things, admiring him from his seat all the while.

Yuri felt a little guilty, but he tried not to look at the price tags dangling from the wrists of the coats as he tried them on. He considered a green one that matched the shamrock hue of his eyes, but it was uncomfortably long and seemed to squeeze his legs together when he walked over to a mirror to have a look at himself. He put it back and tried on a blue one that reminded him of the Russian flag, but the sleeves were too stiff and the wool fabric was itchy. He finally reached for a black one that fit him perfectly, and it looked stylish, too. He turned to Otabek with a questioning look. Would his friend think it looked good on him? “What do you think of this one?” he asked nervously.

“It’s perfect.” Otabek stood up and moved closer. His voice was very soft as he said, “It looks like it was made for you, Yuri.”

Yuri felt his heart race at the compliment. He lifted his arm to look at the price attached to the sleeve. He didn’t see any red on the tag. “Otabek, I don’t think this is on sale—” he started to say. But Otabek distracted him by pushing Yuri’s hot chocolate cup back into his hand. Then, wordlessly, Otabek ripped the tag off of the coat and crumpled it in his fist, preventing Yuri from seeing it.

Yuri stared at him with an open mouth as Otabek walked away. “Let’s get you some gloves,” his friend called back to him. “And a scarf.”

Yuri was still stunned and trailed after Otabek in stupor. He let the other man choose a pair of black gloves and a black, white, and gray plaid scarf for him, then shuffled after Otabek to the cash register.

“Did you gentlemen find what you need?” Richard asked from behind the counter. Another man behind him was folding shirts and adding them to a wall display. Not a single one cost fewer than three-hundred American dollars.

Otabek nodded, setting the gloves and scarf down so they could be rung up. He also set the coat tag down and slid it across the counter toward the clerk. “He’ll wear it.”

“Very good.” Richard began ringing up their purchases, then said, “All our toboggan hats are on sale for $9.99 today…”

Otabek turned to his friend. “Yuri, go pick out a hat,” he instructed, and Yuri went. When he returned, Otabek ripped the tag from the hat and settled it over his head, carefully brushing strands of blond hair out of Yuri’s eyes. “Let’s go,” he said, apparently having paid without letting Yuri hear exactly how much.

Back outside on the street, Yuri held Otabek’s drink while his friend tucked his jacket into his backpack for him. “Otabek, I didn’t mean for you to buy all this.”

“How could I let you freeze to death on the street? What kind of friend would I be then?”

Yuri couldn’t argue with that.

They were finally free to explore the city. There was more to do in New York than they could ever accomplish in just a few days, so they made sure to hit the highlights and skipped the souvenir shops. Yuri had intended to buy some tchotchkes while on vacation, but Otabek’s generous sacrifice had made him have a change of heart. “That crap’s all made in China, anyway,” he just shrugged as they passed by yet another tourist trap.

They caught a double-decker tour bus in Midtown Manhattan and drove through Times Square before visiting the Rockefeller Center to tour Radio City Music Hall. Afterwards the pair enjoyed lunch at a buffet-style restaurant along Fifth Avenue called “Bread and Butter.” Next they took a stroll in scenic Madison Square Park, and from there it was only a ten-minute walk to reach the Empire State Building. Next they headed to the harbor and caught a ferry to see Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. They ended their day with a luxury cruise back to Pier 17 and dined on a delicious meal served on the ship.

Otabek posed for selfies with Yuri as his excitable companion went a little camera crazy and spammed his Instagram account all day long with more than a hundred photos of the two of them storming the city. By the time the sun was setting, they were both tired out. But Yuri wasn’t quite willing to part with Otabek’s company. Even if his friend was reserved and didn’t say much, it made Yuri happy just being together. Otabek didn’t have to say a word for Yuri to know he was enjoying their day, too; he could tell by the sparkle in Otabek’s chocolaty caramel eyes.

As the sun sank below the city skyline, the temperature dropped even further. The coat, hat, scarf, and gloves Otabek had bought him were warm, but Yuri was still colder than was comfortable as they walked slowly back in the direction of their hotel.

“Hey—why don’t we get some dessert?” Yuri asked when their building became visible in the distance.

Otabek’s eyes widened in surprise. “Aren’t you full?”

“…No,” Yuri said, looking away embarrassedly. “There’s an ice cream shop on the corner. Let’s go!”

“Yuri, it’s nineteen degrees out here,” Otabek reminded him.

“Oh. Oh, yeah.”

“How about a coffee, instead?”

Yuri smiled.

They killed thirty minutes in a quaint little café, listening to Christmas-inspired jazz music and warming themselves with piping hot coffee while they engaged in pleasant conversation. Too soon, it was time to leave.

Outside again, it felt even colder.

“Hey—look at that!” Yuri said suddenly, pointing at a souvenir shop. “We didn’t buy anything frivolous all day. Can I get you something, to remember our trip by?”

“Yuri, I won’t ever forget it,” Otabek assured him. His gaze was so intense, Yuri looked away.

“Yeah, but…you got me such a nice Christmas gift, and I didn’t get you anything. Let me find you something fun to take home to Kazakhstan and show your friends!” This time Yuri was the one to reach for Otabek’s hand, and Otabek reluctantly let himself be dragged into the gift shop.

One miniature Statue of Liberty and “I <3 New York” T-shirt later, the couple was back out in the cold.

“Hey, Otabek,” Yuri said, pointing out yet another store. “Want to check that out?”

Otabek’s eyes followed the direction his friend’s finger was pointing and he frowned. “Yuri, that’s another café. Is something going on?”

In spite of how cold it was, Yuri felt heat rising to his face. “No!” he said, a little too quickly. “I’m just cold.”

“Then we should get back to the hotel where it’s warm.”

Yuri gave a little shrug. “I guess so,” he murmured weakly.

They stood there, staring at each other in silence. Then, all of a sudden, Otabek’s arms were around Yuri, drawing him close.

Yuri gasped in surprise.

“You don’t have to keep running into cafés to buy coffee just to warm up,” Otabek said. Yuri couldn’t see his face, but he could hear the smile in the tone of his voice. “My hugs are warm. And they’re free.”

Yuri definitely felt warm now. After a moment his arms slowly lifted, winding around Otabek’s waist.

Otabek continued, “And our date doesn’t have to end, just because we get back to our hotel.”

Yuri’s heart was pounding. Otabek’s embrace was equally firm and gentle, just as he had imagined it would be. There was no hesitation, only warmth and the quiet strength Otabek always exuded. In spite of being in a huge, foreign city, Yuri had never felt so safe. He licked his chapped lips. “Is this…a date?” he dared ask.

“I didn’t come to New York to see the sights, Yuri,” Otabek breathed into his ear, “I came to see you.”

His eyes shining, Yuri hugged Otabek harder. “Then…let’s get back to the hotel, before we freeze to death!”

Otabek finally released his hold on the other man. He gave him a gentle look and reached for his hand, leading the way. This time he didn’t let go.

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