“Some weather we’re having, huh?”

Mizuki dodged an icy puddle, looking up at the man leaning on his snow shovel before him. The middle aged man was something of a caretaker in the building.

“It’s wild, I could barely find my way home the other day,” Mizuki replied, coming up the walkway, momentarily free of snow. Stepping onto the clean stone tile felt almost otherworldly.

“Damn right, I’ve shoveled this path twice today already,” the man sighed with exasperation. “But you’re working pretty hard yourself, right?”

“Well,” Mizuki grimaced. The truth was he didn’t get as much done these days as he’d wished, even when he joined Noel and the others at campus.

“By the way,” he started, “uh, this is gonna sound a bit weird but… You know everyone who lives here, yeah?”

“Well,” the other man pulled his beanie tighter down over his ears, brushing snow off of his shoulders. “I mean I know their names. Who lives where.”

“Uh, so do you know if there’s a guy with kinda long red hair living here? Around my age?”

“Red hair?” the man knit his brow. “No, I don’t think so? Not living here, no.”

“So you’ve seen him?” Mizuki blurted out. If the caretaker had seen Settia, then—

“Not as far as I know, probably a visitor. Maybe someone’s boyfriend?”

This was the third neighbor he’d asked since yesterday who had no recollection of having seen Settia anywhere. He frowned.

“You saying you’ve seen some mysterious redhead lurking around here?” the man looked troubled now.

“Ah, no. Not like that. Just…yeah no I was just wondering.”

He is mysterious though.

“Uhm,” he started again. “There’s not like…a hospital or anything around here, is there?”

“Hospital? You feelin’ ill?”

“No, just wondering.” Mizuki shook his head fervently. His cheeks tingled, with either embarrassment or cold. He honestly doubted Settia had escaped from any kind of institution, although both illness and drugs had initially crossed his mind. Settia seemed a little delusional, but not…

“Well I suppose it’s nice to know, just in case.” The caretaker winked at him. “Now go on inside before you do catch cold.”

Mizuki nodded, darting in the front door.

                                                        ❋❋❋❋

He was met by loud crashing noises and screaming from the next room.

“Uh, I’m home?” he called out, anxiously peeking his head around the corner to see the source of the commotion.

“Mizuki!” Settia’s face broke into a grin. “Welcome home!”

“You’re watching TV?” slight relief washed over him. Settia was leaning back on the bed, seemingly mesmerized by the screen.

“Yes, you said I could.”

Mizuki smiled disarmingly, stepping into the room. “No worries, I know I did. What are you watching?”

He glanced at the screen, where two men who looked like they’d been to Hell and back were yelling at a blonde kid. “Home Alone?”

“Yes!” Settia looked gleeful. Unnervingly so even.

“They’ve shown this film three times already,” Mizuki frowned.

“It’s funny, come watch!” Settia patted the bed next to himself. Hesitantly, Mizuki came over and sat down.

“Is this what you do all day?” he asked, ignoring the spectacle on the screen. “Watch movies?”

“I wait for you.” Settia inched closer, nudging Mizuki’s shoulder with his own.

“Sure, but doing what?” he urged, pulling away slightly.

The red-haired man shrugged. “I guess I sleep.”

“You guess?”

“Is there anything you want me to do? I can do the dishes, or cook or something?”

“Uh…” Mizuki didn’t know how to reply. His gut instinct was to say that Settia was a guest and didn’t need to help out, but then…he wasn’t really?

“You cook?”

“Well, I can read recipes?” Settia flashed that over the top grin of his.

“Yeah that’s…reassuring.” Mizuki’s lip twitched slightly.

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They’d watched the last few minutes of the film together. Mostly in silence.

“It’s kind of cheesy though, isn’t it.” Mizuki remarked as the music swelled and everyone hugged during the grand finale.

“You think?”

“You don’t?”

“Hm,” Settia looked pensively at him. “I think it’s nice. People being reunited with their families, holidays or not. Don’t you feel warm and fuzzy, watching this?”

Mizuki shrugged. “I mean, anyone would be moved by that old man.”

He thought he saw Settia’s lip pull upwards.

“What about you?” the other man asked softly.

“Hm?”

“Don’t you miss your family? A lot of people feel lonely at this time of year. And you’re so far away from them.”

Mizuki sighed deeply, gritting his teeth.

“Christ,” he turned his eyes on Settia.

“Can you give it a rest?” he threw his legs over the edge of the bed, standing abruptly. “What is it with people, huh? I’m fine, I just don’t celebrate Christmas, is that really so hard to understand?"

Settia met his disdainful scowl with bewilderment. To be honest, Mizuki was just as surprised at his own reaction.

“Sorry.” He swept his hand through his own hair. “I just… I’m very tired of defending myself to everyone.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Settia said softly. “I’m just curious.”

Mizuki swallowed, he really hadn’t meant to go off like that. He sank back down, sitting on the edge of the mattress. Embarrassment crashed over him.

“I’m just trying to figure you out,” Settia shifted behind him. “Because I care about you.”

“You care?” Mizuki blinked. “We don’t even know each other.”

“So you say,” Settia whistled. His hand stole up Mizuki’s back and came to rest on his shoulder, only briefly. “But if that’s so, won’t you let me get to know you better?”

Mizuki swallowed. He was glad he had his back turned. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know which expression had accompanied those words.

In the background, another show blared onto the screen.

“I’m gonna make some food,” he said, getting to his feet.