𝔗𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔪𝔲𝔰𝔱 𝔟𝔢 𝔴𝔯𝔬𝔫𝔤 (𝔉𝔶𝔬𝔩𝔞𝔦)

8: 𝔉𝔦𝔫𝔞𝔩𝔢

                                                                                         ✩✩✩   

  "You'll be needing your coat." Nikolai stated. He sat patiently on Fyodor's bed as he watched the other move about the room. 

  "It's freezing out there...just what exactly do you have planned?" Fyodor gave him a glance from across his room. To say he was curious would be an understatement, in fact, his mind was racing with all the things Nikolai might have in store. Though a tiny part of him was still worried. Sometimes Nikolai's ideas were... unconventional, and Fyodor had no intention of being dragged around campus all night.

  "Like I said, it's a secret~! You'll just have to trust me, yeah?" Nikolai grinned ear-to-ear. Trust...Fyodor nodded, he did trust him.

                                                                                         ✩✩✩   

  Once Fyodor was bundled up from the cold, Nikolai walked him out opthe back exit of their dorm building. Maybe it was all his layers of clothing, or maybe he was coming down with something, (again) but even when the cold winter air hit his face, Fyodor found he was exceptionally warm. Or maybe, just maybe, he was nervous.

  "Fedya, do you think...you could put this on?" Nikolai dug something out of his pocket and handed it to Fyodor, it was a blindfold. Fyodor shot him a glare. "Oh come on! What's that for? Did our little talk of trust mean nothing?" Nikolai protested. While he could dispute that there was not, in fact, a "talk" of trust, Fyodor thought it wise not to argue. He took the blindfold from Nikolai's gloved hand and placed it over his eyes.

  "Okay...now what?" He was met with silence. "...Nikolai, this isn't funny." He stated. From seemingly out of nowhere he felt a sharp breath of warm air against the back of his neck. A small squeak escaped his lips as he whipped around. When Fyodor removed the blindfold he was met with an ecstatic Nikolai.

  "I found it very amusing."

                                                                                         ✩✩✩   

  After a little bit of begging from Nikolai, Fyodor put the blindfold back on. He was a bit startled when he felt Nikolai's hand grab onto his, but allowed himself to be guided nonetheless. It couldn't have been more than five minutes before Nikolai let go of his hand. "You can take it off now." At these words, Fyodor reached up and slid the blindfold from his eyes. The sight that met him was simple, yet wonderful. There in front of the school, was a massive Christmas tree. It took a moment for Fyodor's eyes to adjust, but he was in awe. Though as he stared up at all of the lights that twinkled in the snow, a small part of him wondered how much it must cost to light it...

  "I know it's not really Christmas time anymore but..." Nikolai trailed off, gently prodding at the snow beneath his feet. Fyodor looked over to him. "I love it, it's beautiful." A smile quickly returned to Nikolai's face.

  Nikolai couldn't help but to admire the way Fyodor looked in the warm yet soft glow of the lights, they highlighted his face in a way that made him look so...pure. Seeing him look up at the lights with an almost childlike wonder warmed his soul. He took a seat on a nearby bench, letting out a sigh as he leaned back to look at the stars. Hearing him, Fyodor looked curiously back to see what had happened before joining him on the bench.

  "What are you thinking?" Fyodor asked, joining Nikolai in looking at the stars. Nikolai raised his arm to the sky, his pointer finger outstretched. "Look there, it's Orion." He smiled, "And there's Taurus, Ursa Major..." Fyodor squinted, trying to make out the constellations before turning to Nikolai. "That doesn't answer my question, Kolya." Nikolai's shoulders rose and fell in another sigh. "Oh...just that the stars are so beautiful tonight. All of this is, really. There's so much of this world I haven't seen, so much beauty. But mostly... I was thinking of how much I'd love to see it all with you." He turned to meet Fyodor's gaze he said this, causing the other to become flustered and quickly look away. "Very beautiful indeed..." He whispered.