"I'm here!" Gorou said while running up to Kazuha. "Sorry for making you wait in the cold. Miss Sangonomiya asked me to show some of the new recruits around before I left."
"Oh no that's quite alright." Kazuha said as a gentle smile spread across his face. "You are an army General after all."
Gorou's and Kazuha's eyes met. Gorou couldn't help but think how pretty Kazuha's eyes were.
"Is there something on my face?" Kazuha asked while tilting his head.
Gorou felt the heat rise up his face and his ears get warm. He frantically looked away. "No uh of course not!" Gorou said followed by nervous laughter.
"What are we doing?" Asked gorou. "You never told me."
"Hmmm. Kazuha paused to think. "I never thought about it, I just wanted to spend some time with you."
Gorous cheeks turned a faint crimson.
"We shouldn't do anything outside, we can't have our army General catching a cold."
"Why do you have to say it like that." Gorou said looking flustered.
Something dawned on gorou, there was snow. While kazuha was thinking gorou reached down into the snow and compacted it into a perfect ball, then he threw it right at kazuha.
"I have an idea-" The snow ball smacked kazuha right in the head.
Silence filled the air. Gorou started to wonder if he had seriously upset Kazuha. "I'm-"
Kazuha burst into laughter. He couldn't help but be reminded of Tomo, it was something he would do.
Gorou let out a sigh of relief. "I thought I made you mad or something."
"No, quite the opposite really. Kazuha said. "What you did just now, it reminded me of an old friend." You could tell how fond Kazuha was of this "friend" by the look on his face.
Gorou felt a pang of jealousy. "Are you..talking about Tomo?" He said hesitantly.
Gorou hated it, but he couldn't help but be a little envious of Tomo. You could tell how much Kazuha had loved him.
"Yeah." Kazuha bent down and started to make a snowball, then hurled it right at gorou. "Payback."
Soon they were laughing like children while having a snowball fight.
They were laying in the snow, out of breath. Staring at the sky.
Kazuha sighed. "I had to go easy on you." His lips curled into a smile. "You're kinda bad at snowball fights."
Gorou looked over Kazuha. "Says the one who got smacked in the face with a snowball."
"At least I didn't get knocked over by a snowball." Kazuha retorted.
Gorou rolled over on top of Kazuha, so that he was pinning him down. It didn't take long for Kazuhas cheeks to turn a deep shade of crimson.
Kazuha nervously looked away. "Oh so you're shy now?" Gorou said while peering down at the boy below him.
"This is no fair." Kazuha mumbled.
While Kazuha was avoiding gorous face like his life depended on it. Gorou picked up a handful of snow and dropped in kazuhas hair.
"I win!" Gorou said, chuckling.
"I hate you."
"You know you love me."
Gorou was basically sitting on kazuha now however, he didn't notice he was too busy celebrating his victory.
"You just think you're so clever don't you." Kazuha said.
"I do."
"For such a shy puppy you sure are bold sometimes." Kazuha mumbled as he was trying to comb the snow out of his hair with his hands.
"Well I am an army General after all."
"You should get off." Kazuha said quietly.
Gorous tail started to wag. "Make me."
Kazuha was flustered once again. "You're gonna make me lose my mind." He said covering his face.
Gorou got up and helped Kazuha out of the snow. "Thanks To- Gorou."
Gorou couldn't help but get a little irritated. This wasn't the first time Kazuha had done this. It was like he would never compare to Tomo. As much as Gorou tried it seemed like he'd always been in Tomos shadow.
Kazuha gasped and clamped a hand over his mouth. "I'm so sorry."
Gorou clenched his fists. "It's fine, let's get back home before you catch a cold." He said while forcing a smile on his face.
All Kazuha could do was Nod.
When they got back home Gorou didn't talk much. After washing up they pretty much sat in silence.
"Gorou I'm-"
"Seriously it's fine just leave it alone." Gorou said, cutting Kazuha off.
The truth was Gorou couldn't stop thinking about how he would never compare to Tomo. He felt as if he could never be good enough for Kazuha, he felt so inferior.
"No, it's not fine. I need to stop doing that." Kazuha said. "It's not fair to you."
Gorou looked away, he didn't want Kazuha to see his face. He realized his shoulders were trembling, he thought he was pathetic.
"Gorou, please look at me."
He shook his head. "No, I don't want to look at you right now." His voice sounded weak and small, It was almost a whisper.
"Gorou..."
"Leave me alone." Gorous quivering voice said.
"Do you really mean that?" Kazuha hesitantly asked.
Gorou didn't answer.
"Gorou please.."
Gorou looked wiped his eyes and turned to face Kazuha, His eyes were red and puffy. "Gorou..."
"I'm sorry, I know it's pathetic." Gorou quickly got up and left the cottage, slamming the door on his way out.
