Published: January 03, 2012

ImagineYourOTP as small children that live in the same neighborhood and person A always starts snowball fights with person B during winter and they have hot cocoa at person B's house afterwards.

Misaki's climb up to the tree was anything but smooth. The paddings of his winter clothes helped with keeping the scratches to a low minimum, but some of the wayward twigs still managed to slice his cheeks. But it was well worth it once he found the perfect spot in just the right amount of branches above the ground where he could watch everything go on bellow him unseen.

Hauling the bag of snow up with him was hard, to say the least, but essential for Misaki's plan. His only adversary, however, was his own impatience. Sitting still had always been a problem for him, and he doubted he could take anymore of this mock-sniper-shot scenario.

Fortunately, it doesn't take long for Saruhiko to go out out of his house looking left and right for Misaki. From his perch up high, Misaki snickers quietly, forming snow balls with deft hands and once Saruhiko closes the gate to his house, his small hands scratching the back of his head, and wondering where the heck Misaki could be, Misaki aims and shoots at a measured angle.

The balls collide with Saruhiko's head, and the boy whips his head around looking for the source of the attack.

"Misaki!" he growls, looking everywhere but up and Misaki tries hard to muffle his laughter. He showers Saruhiko with an onslaught of snowballs, strategically planning the timing and angles of his throws so as to not give his position away.

Saruhiko bravely suffers the assault and tries to retaliate by throwing a barrage of his own quickly made snowballs in every possible direction in vain. At some point, a shot hit him hard enough to knock his frames off and the sight of Saruhiko in such a distress sent Misaki into a laughing fit loud enough to draw Saruhiko's attention.

Seeing as he'd been found out, Misaki skillfully makes his way down the tree with a series of jumps and swings. "Show off," mutters Saruhiko, "And he calls me a monkey..."

By the time he lands in front of Saruhiko, he's still laughing, almost close to tears. "Did you see your face?!" he wheezes, clutching his stomach. His legs give way and he starts rolling on the floor. Saruhiko picks up his glasses, wipes them, and watches him with malicious contempt.

"That wasn't funny, Misaki!" He pouts and starts nagging, putting his hands over his shoulders like he'd seen his mommy do. "You know I hate the cold and look! I'm drenched!"

Misaki stops laughing but the mirth is still in his eyes and in the way he tries to hide his smile.

"You did this last year too! And the year before that, and you always do this even when you know I don't like it!" continues Saruhiko. He humphs and puts on his best angry-face, regretting it completely when he hears Misaki sniff, distinctly not from the cold.

"B-But it was f-fun so... so..." he trails off, mouth quivering. Saruhiko sees him rub his eyes and sees the way his shoulders tremble and feels the pang of guilt. He bends over and puts an arm around Misaki.

"I-It's alright... I'm sorry for snapping like that. It was a joke, see? I'm not angry at all..." he soothingly whispers.

And gets a palm full of snow shoved in his face by a dry-eyed Misaki. "Happy holidays, Saru!" he says and Misaki didn't look cute with his missing font tooth, Saruhiko would have butchered him right there. Instead, Saruhiko tackles him to the ground and they wrestle each other in the snow until Saruhiko forgets his irritation.

Later, they sit contentedly on the floor of Saruhiko's room with their backs to his bed. Misaki breathes in the deep and rests his head on Saruhiko's shoulders and says, "Thanks for playing with me even if you hate the cold."

Saruhiko's nanny comes in bringing two hot mugs of milk chocolate and Saruhiko looks up at her with pleading eyes and asks if Misaki could stay.

"Of course! He practically lives here!" she says kindly, and leaves the two children alone and sighs, knowing one child only had a cold small building cramped with ten or twenty other kids and enough food for five to return to while the other only had an old lady to fill in the silence of a large house.

A/N: A bit late for the season, I know, but I didn't notice this on my queue. ^^;; Furthermore, I just love well off but lonely Fushimi next to happy orphan Yata. It's cliche, but still very cute.

To that Anon asking for Anna's ideas on SaruMi: Not very in-tune to her character but I'll try...? But if you have another request aside from that, that would be great! :)