Chapter Text
"Oowah!!!!!! They're so cute!!"
It wasn't a rare claim from Midori, but it surely came from his heart in this case. Smiling at him from one of the ES cafeteria's kitchen ovens were what he assumed to be rows and rows of bear-shaped bread buns peeking over the metal oven pan. Their dough looked expertly made, and the sweet, warm air wafting throughout the kitchen only proved to speak to this sentiment. And yet, it wasn't this but the soulless eyes, uneven ears, and somewhat distorted mouths satisfying his strange taste in cute things exactly right that made it impossible for him to walk past. Midori couldn't help himself from placing what he was carrying on the ground and lowering to his knees to plant himself in front of them, long legs awkwardly knocking the sleek glass of the oven door as he looked at them longingly, completely enamored by both the concept and the execution.
"Just a few steps away, let's not falter now," Souma called from ahead, promptly pulling him from his animal bread trance and reminding him of the reason he came here: the huge boxes of his family's vegetables seated next to him. It had been a long day of deliveries and this--the ES cafeteria--was, thank god, his final stop for the day. Carrying these heavy boxes over and over again was no easy task, and though one part of him was happy to be helping out his parents, the other half desperately wished they'd find a way to make the process more efficient already.
"Coming, Kanzaki-senpai," He pulled himself back up, giving one last departing look to the creatures. God, how he wished he could have one.
"Would you like one?"
God?!
Midori spun around to face the sudden new voice. Oh, even better! "Fushimi-senpai!"
"Good evening, Takamine-sama," Yuzuru greeted pleasantly, retightening the black, flour-covered apron he adorned behind his back. He leaned down to open the oven door, taking the buns out after spending a moment deciding if they looked done enough. Hot air wafted out from the oven accompanied by the sweet smell of bread that enticed Midori into understanding his roommate's obsession with it. "I see Kanzaki-sama let you in. It's rare for me to catch you on a delivery, so it's good to see you here. You seem to have been a bit distracted though~ someone appears to be waiting for you." Yuzuru's eyes guided him toward Souma, who had one hand on the walk-in freezer's door and another on his hip, exasperatedly shaking his head.
"Ah, sorry, sorry!" Hastily, Midori bent down to pick up his two produce boxes, but before he could bring the second one into his arms, Yuzuru swiped it up with ease.
"Let me help you out," Yuzuru spoke before Midori's questioning face could get anything out. "I just finished my baking, I have time to spare now."
"...Ok," The taller boy agreed, bliss over the fact that Yuzuru was coming along for the normally mundane job easily reigning over any else. They began to make their way to an admittedly patient Souma. "So it's really you who made those bear buns? They were so cute!"
Yuzuru laughed lightly. "Yes, it is. I'm glad you like them. I'm making them for Tori with one of Shiina-sama's recipes to look like his little bear keychain, but I'd be more than happy to save one for you if you'd like."
"Ah, that makes me feel a little bad for taking one now, but if you'll let me...!"
"...so that's what it was!" Souma interjected as they finally approached his spot at the freezer door, eyes narrowed as if he had just figured out some very important puzzle. Midori and Yuzuru paused in their tracks, taken aback by the loud and unclear exclamation. "It was a bear. I thought it was some kind of sea creature."
Midori almost wanted to laugh but stopped himself quickly. He couldn't, not when Yuzuru's creations were the laughing matter. It took a moment for the baker in question to respond, and when he did, a worried look plastered his face while he entered the doorway Souma now held open. "Eh, Kanzaki-sama, did it really not look like a bear? Not even a mammal? Oh, I can imagine Tori criticizing it now.."
"Fushimi-senpai, don't worry about it! If anything, it's the ambiguity that makes it even cuter, trust me!" Midori followed Yuzuru into the walk-in freezer, but Souma still held the door open, allowing some warmth in, though meager. "And it looks bear-like.. enough.."
"Hmm."
"Don't worry about it," Souma piped up again. "I've probably just been spending too much time with those two bad influences. It's something I must reflect on personally."
"You're talking about Shinkai-senpai, aren't you?" Midori sighed.
"How'd you know?"
It almost was too easy of a connection to make. What other person could be so easily linked to sea creatures? Was there anyone else who practically lived in water, mentioned it every other word, and dreamed of swimming with the fish forever one day? But that was too much to say, at least for Midori. "Lucky guess."
Souma huffed. "You must be very lucky then." He took his weight away from the door, but still lingered at the freezer entrance, propping it open with a few fingers. "Well, I stayed to let you in, Takamine, because I knew Fushimi-dono was baking, but now that that's passed, I must take my leave."
Yuzuru, still slightly lost in thoughts of bread and Tori, looked up from placing his box next to the metal shelves of the freezer to where Souma stood in the doorway. "Is Keito-sama having his unit practice this late?"
Souma shook his head. "No, I have plans to walk Leon with Oogami and Adonis-dono tonight, so that's where I'm going now."
Realizing he wouldn't be able to recruit the extra help, Yuzuru returned to his circle work. "That sounds much more pleasant. I hope you enjoy your night, then."
"Wait, before you go!" Midori called, catching Souma before he fully departed from the freezer door. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and extended it toward the third-year. Since the day had been so long, his phone had been used relentlessly, listening to new song samples Chiaki had sent during his normal routes, getting directions to destinations, and maybe a few sessions of a new game Hinata had convinced him to download, all on top of the normal usage. There was no doubt it was about to die, and this may have been his only chance to keep it alive for his walk back. "Do you guys happen to have a charger out there?"
"Sure, I'll plug it in for you." Souma took it from Midori's hands, clicking his tongue. "Well, I'll be off then. Good luck with stocking--and your baking, Fushimi-dono!" Farewells were exchanged, and the long-haired boy was eventually free to leave from the freezer door, his steps swifter and more excited than his casual tone let on. The heavy metal freezer door shut behind him with a BANG, and the freezing air pressed in tighter. Their breaths were clearly visible now, a cloud of white dissipating with each exhale.
"He seemed excited to get out of here," Midori mused cynically, grabbing prewrapped piles of fresh spinach and looking for its label. "But now it's just me and Fushimi-senpai..!"
"Me and Takamine-sama~," Yuzuru repeated the sentiment affectionately, and recognizing what Midori was looking for, pulled the spinach container from a low shelf. "Oh, let me go get us a trash bag real quick to put some of this old stuff in." He put the container back down and made his way to the freezer door, raising his hand to the freezing metal. He pushed. And pushed... And pushed again.....
...BANG..! BANG..! BANG BANG!
Midori's heart almost burst out of his chest at the sudden commotion, and he rushed over to see what in the world Yuzuru could be doing to create such noise. "What's going on?!"
Yuzuru had a hand on his head, pulling his bangs back in one place as if distressed.
"The door, it's not opening."
Midori didn't quite know what to say. "Did you push it the right way?"
"Of course I did," Yuzuru sighed, pressing on the door again in case it would magically open. Midori followed suit, first using one hand to press on it, and then his whole body, pushing on the huge metal slab with all his weight. Both of them pushed, trying to ignore the numbness spreading through every point that made contact with the metal.
Bang! Bang!
"It only shifts slightly. It's really stuck," Yuzuru stared at his hands.
"No way.. we're really stuck in here?" Midori's eyes searched the limited space of the freezer room despairingly. Even after their joint attempt, Midori tried a few more feeble pushes for himself before wringing his hands behind his head nervously. "Oh man, what do we do now? These things aren't supposed to get stuck like this, right?"
"No, you're right. They should always open from the inside. It could be some sort of failure in the lock mechanism, or even something in front of the door, though that's not likely," Yuzuru commented, inspecting the door as if he'd find a secret somewhere in its design. "This is very unprofessional and unsafe on the manufacturer's end."
"How long does it take to freeze to death?" Midori muttered, pacing the room.
"Takamine-sama, do you think you can call someone?" Yuzuru asked hopefully, but the troubled look in Midori's blue eyes served as a grim reminder of the phone currently plugged into a wall outside of the freezer right now.
"You don't have your phone on you?" He felt he already knew the answer, but he tried it anyway.
"No, I always set it down while I'm baking," Yuzuru spoke regretfully, confirming his fears. The two met each other's eyes weakly, clearly starting to feel the chill.
"Maybe Kanzaki-senpai is still here?" Midori suggested. They turned to the door again. Yuzuru slammed his fists against it and Midori called out, holding on to any hope that the second member of Niki's Kitchen was still there. Again and again, they yelled and hit, but as minute after minute passed and no response was given, it was clear that Souma was likely already on his way out the dorm doors with Leon and friends, completely unaware of the situation he had just left.
Visible breaths rose around their panting faces. Yuzuru leaned forward against the door, watching as Midori slid to the floor with his back against the only barrier between them and any form of warmth. Unwelcoming metal shelves loomed over his vision, the frost lining their sides almost seeming to mock them, and the forgotten vegetable boxes still sat alone in the middle of the room.
"Oh god, this is it, isn't it. How cold is it in here? Really, really cold, right?"
"Calm down, Takamine-sama," Yuzuru hushed, bringing himself down to sit at his junior's side and placing a comforting hand on his arm. It wasn't exactly uncommon for Midori to get in a stressed and pessimistic mood like this, and Yuzuru surely wasn't a stranger to helping him through it. "In these temperatures, I'm sure we can survive until the next person comes in here. Shiina-sama will surely be here eventually. It'll just be... cold. And what you're wearing isn't really helping."
"It was humid outside and I was carrying heavy boxes around," Midori defended, trying to pull down the short sleeves of his shirt, but it was a futile attempt.
"I know, I know." Yuzuru conceded. He got back to his feet and looked down at the huddled-up boy, offering a hand. "Here, let's at least keep moving to stay warm. We did come in here for a reason after all."
Midori stared at his hand for a second, feeling his breath shake lightly, but eventually, he gave his hand to Yuzuru and let himself be pulled up. "At least it's Fushimi-senpai I'm stuck with."
"That's it," Yuzuru encouraged, taking his sweet time to let Midori's hand go.
The team of two moved back to the heaps of packaged produce that had been abandoned only minutes ago, working bit by bit to clear out the two boxes and keep themselves warm in the meantime. The work was easy once they were in a strict rhythm established by Yuzuru, who also made sure to command that sweating be avoided at all costs lest it never dry, and it was clear to see in a matter of minutes that the cardboard bottoms of the boxes were steadily approaching. Old food that needed to be thrown away was set aside in an extra metal container for later--you know, once they were actually out--and the new food, expertly grown by and commissioned from the Takamines, lined the shelves in its place. Midori couldn't help but feel a little proud looking at it. Sure, he always did help stock the vegetables he brought, but stocking with Yuzuru meant he wasn't going to get away with the normal shortcuts he took, and so the process was much neater, but still efficient, and with much prettier results. It was one thing out of many he really liked about his senior; whenever he was with Yuzuru, he always ended up feeling good about himself.
However, that left them with another issue: looking up at the finished work also meant they lost their activity to stay warm.
Having broken down the empty boxes and placed them by the door, they were left only with the sinking feeling of the cold and clothes that had not grown any warmer. Shivering, Midori sauntered closer to Yuzuru and aimlessly draped his arms over his shoulders from behind as a lacking pursuit of heat. "..I just want to go out there and have one of those warm bread buns."
Yuzuru hummed, wrapping his hands around his back to untie the apron that still hung around his torso. "I'd like that too, though I doubt they're still warm now."
"That's ok. I just want one at this point," Midori replied, teeth chattering. "They're masterpieces, as always."
Yuzuru smiled, letting Midori's arms lazily slide off of him as he turned around. "You know, at some point, I started having you in mind while I was making them."
"Really?" Midori's eyes brightened.
Having fully untied his apron, Yuzuru pulled it from his body and threw it above Midori's head, letting it drape around his neck. He still held on to the ends, pulling the tall, shivering boy closer until he was less than an arm-length away and starting to tie it around him like a scarf. "Yes, it's a bit troublesome.. you keep popping up in my mind lately, Takamine-sama, even when I'm supposed to be focusing on work."
"Sorry..?!" Midori stalled, so dumbfounded by all the stimulation--the cold, the dire situation, Yuzuru's hands wrapping his apron around him, the close proximity, and now this confession--that only his flushing face gave away what he truly wished to say.
"No need to apologize." Yuzuru moved up from the apron, which now came to a tidy knot at Midori's sternum, and instead cupped his hands around the boy's face and ears, which seemed nearly frostbitten with how cold and red they were. Yuzuru internally grimaced at the thought of how freezing he must be, but his puppy-dog-eyed stare as he awaited Yuzuru's next move brought him back to the present. "It's probably the best problem I could have, thinking of you."
Midori paused for a second, stunned by Yuzuru's forwardness, a side that never came out when others were around, but finally, placing his hands over Yuzuru's, he replied with what felt like the obvious, "I think of you all the time, too."
"I'm honored."
Maybe the place was wrong, but the timing felt right, so Midori leaned down to meet Yuzuru's cold lips.
They had kissed before, but this time, the warmth that spread between their touches was in pleasant contrast to the frigid air around them, providing a respite of not only comfort but relief. Yuzuru's hands still held Midori's face as they lingered there, neither wanting to be the first to back away from the embrace. A hum of surprise came from Yuzuru as cold fingertips pressed lightly against his back. This was certainly one way to keep warm.
THUD!
The pair practically flew apart at the loud noise from the ceiling, both of their faces red and their breathing heavy. They stared up to try and locate the source of the sound, Yuzuru's eyes narrowed and Midori's wide, but the bleak white ceiling gave away absolutely nothing. Midori, still shaken, moved to look up into the room's pressure ventilation system, but to no avail. Inside the vent was dark and vacuous, anyways.
"What.. in the world was that?" Midori stammered, wiping his face with his wrist.
"I--- I wish I could say," Yuzuru commented, disoriented and uneasy. "Something in the vents... maybe a rodent? Some kind of.. very heavy rodent..."
That lackluster explanation sounded silly even to Midori, but he didn't have a better one to offer in its stead, so he let it be the prevailing theory. "Maybe this kitchen should have been inspected."
"That's what I'm thinking as well." Yuzuru silently cursed Eichi. He knew he didn't build the cafeteria personally, but he certainly had a hand in its construction plans--one that led to failing freezer doors and now something large moving around in the ventilation, two things that would never be happening anywhere outside of ES. While Yuzuru couldn't say he completely regretted their time here, if it hadn't been for this strange turn of events, he would certainly be sharing his bear bread happily with Midori in his dorm room, where they would have had some time alone in a safe, warm place uninterrupted until Tori came home. Blaming some sort of bothering and supposedly-responsible figure such as Eichi made the situation slightly easier, so he let himself have the petty action.
Midori leaned against the wall as far away from the vent as possible and wrapped his arms around himself. Much of him still felt giddy, and he wasn't very cold anymore for the moment, but both of them felt the unnerving sense that the freezer no longer felt all too safe. After having his own time to scope out the ceiling, Yuzuru joined him against the cold wall, letting their shoulders touch. Although he was concerned about the situation, it would do no good to let it show, so he simply wrapped his hand around Midori's instead.
The brown-haired boy turned to look at the other. Though emotions were whirling, the space was light and quiet, and his weary question was almost lost to the gentle whirring of the air. "How much longer do you think it'll take?"
"Shiina-sama gets off work soon. It's only a matter of time before we're out of here, and we can warm up," Yuzuru tried. He was good at keeping himself composed, but his senses were heightened and his eyes constantly scanned the room for any sign of movement. Internally, he was grateful to have Midori's hand to ground him.
As Yuzuru went to talk again, something could be heard outside the door, and he quickly quieted himself.
"...you said here..?"
That wasn't Niki, but it was definitely a voice. The two made knowing and optimistic eye contact.
"Hello? We're in here!! The freezer!" Yuzuru took the lead, making his way back over to the door to knock and call out. It was kind of strange, hearing him yell, but Midori was glad he was doing it so he didn't have to.
"We're here, we're here! We'll get you out of there!"
"Kazehaya-sama." Yuzuru recognized the voice. In his time working alongside ALKALOID, Tatsumi had only proved himself to be a well-rounded, reliable worker to him, and so he felt himself relax knowing someone calm and capable had arrived on the other side of the freezer door.
Bang!
The door shook, a sign that the person on the outside was trying to open it.
"It's completely locked," Yuzuru explained their mundane conclusion.
"I see..." It was quiet for some time, and Midori and Yuzuru held their breaths. "Oh, where did you get that?"
Yuzuru raised an eyebrow. "Get what?"
"Oh, nothing. I was talking to Mayoi-san. We've got a key now, so give me just one second," Tatsumi responded. A click could be heard and some metal in the door churned before it opened up sluggishly, the bright white light and much-needed heat of the kitchen spilling into the freezer. Tatsumi stepped out of the way as Midori and Yuzuru filed out, finally feeling how much their limbs had needed to thaw.
"We made it," Midori gasped, blowing hot air into his hands and rubbing his arms to get the blood flowing again. "My phone!" He ran to the counter, and seeing that Souma had fulfilled his promise of plugging it in, he sighed in relief.
Yuzuru watched Midori sympathetically, relieved to see that he appeared to be feeling okay despite his clothes not being suited for such temperatures. Finally, though, he turned back to their savior, bowing his head slightly. "Thank you, Kazehaya-sama, we owe you a lot. I never thought the freezer door would get stuck like that."
"No, I'm just glad we were able to get to you before anything worse happened," Tatsumi lowered his head as well. He let the freezer door fall shut again, and Yuzuru and Midori flinched at the sound of it closing.
"We? Oh yeah, you had said Ayase-sama was with you... but where is he now?"
"Hmm? Is he not right here?" Tatsumi glanced around innocently, seemingly completely unfazed at the other's sudden disappearance. "I guess he must've run off. Don't take it personally, he never means harm by it. In fact, he's the one that led me here."
"Oh? Then I guess I'll have to be sure to thank him when I see him next. You'll have to remind me to pour some tea for all of ALKALOID sometime as a sign of my gratitude." Whisking past Midori, who was messaging someone quite rapidly on his phone, Yuzuru pulled a white carrier box from one of the kitchen shelves and began packaging his bread buns, which were now completely cold in the pan. It felt strange, doing something as normal and chore-like as this after escaping such an insane situation, but it wouldn't be Yuzuru if he left his area messy.
Tatsumi shook his head. "You don't have to go out of your way, it was the least we could do. Love is not arrogant. God says to help others without any expectations in return. If you'd like though, I would like to share some tea with you sometime, and Takamine-san, of course. No need to personally prepare it."
Midori looked up from his phone at the mention of his name, surprised he was brought into the conversation despite knowing Tatsumi from their shared circle. He didn't really want to accept the bothersome invitation, but appearing rude in front of Yuzuru was out of the question. "Eh? Oh, yeah, I don't mind.."
"That would be wonderful," Yuzuru replied, mentally noting in his mind to make room in his schedule for that at some point. He finished up grabbing the last of his creations, placed the pan into the kitchen's dishwasher, and moved next to Midori, who still had eyes glued to his phone. "Who are you messaging?"
The taller boy jumped, unaware Yuzuru had gotten so close to him. "Ah..! It's.. my family. My brother, to be specific."
Yuzuru didn't pry, assuming the frantic texting had to be a detailed explanation about how he had gotten trapped in what felt like negative-degree temperatures for an extended period of time. While this was a good chunk of the conversation, what Yuzuru didn't know was that Midori prioritized his brother for love advice, even though he would much rather focus on the worrying life-or-death situation that had just been brushed to the side instead of the 7th rundown of his childly excitement over a kiss. The stark difference from his usual demeanor was a nice change though, so as a good big brother would, he let it slide, thankful for the boy responsible for it.
"Well, we should probably get out of here. I'll have to report this to someone," Yuzuru placed a hand on Midori's back, signaling to him that it was time to leave. "Are you coming too, Kazehaya-sama?"
"Oh, go on ahead without me. I'm going to stay here and wait for Mayoi-san," Tatsumi replied, staring up at the ceiling, an action that confused the two departing idols. Had he heard something in the vents, too? Nevertheless, they thanked the priest again before leaving and found their way out, glad they were stepping outside the kitchen doors at all and not losing their fingers to the cold. It had been an insane past hour, but certainly one they wouldn't forget.
"You don't have anything planned for the rest of the night, do you?" Yuzuru strode directly next to Midori, dozens of bear buns in his arms. "I'd like to share one of these with you, as I had promised."
If Midori had dog ears, they would have perked up. "No, I have nothing going on! That was my last delivery for the day!"
"Perfect. Then we can head to my room," Yuzuru replied calmly, as if he wasn't as eager, if not more. "Sorry your last delivery had to be so hectic. That door should never get stuck, it's a serious violation of safety protocols."
"It was.. surprising, but I don't think it turned out that bad," Midori's gentle voice trailed off, overly conscious that his words could sound embarrassing. He moved on to an easier topic. "Luckily we were found pretty quickly. Ayase-senpai led Kazehaya-senpai to us, right?"
Yuzuru hummed, acknowledging the accuracy of the statement.
"But how did he know we were in there? Had.. he been listening to us outside for a while before deciding to do anything?"
"..."
Yuzuru stiffened, suddenly linking unfortunate ideas. The loud noise in the ceiling as they kissed, Tatsumi's strange behavior, how Mayoi avoided them so desperately during the rescue. No, it was almost too obvious, now.. He turned to Midori, a troubled look clear in his eyes.
"That.. that wasn't a rodent in the ceiling at all.. was it?"