by Zack (ザックス)

(mirrors http://s2b2.livejournal.com/119577.html)

The sound of approaching footsteps made Todd furiously wipe his eyes. It probably did no good, but he still hoped it wouldn’t be too apparent that he’d been crying.

“Hello.” The voice only carried a slight accent, but it was enough for Todd to realize that the man standing behind him wasn’t one of his own.

He whirled around, fear rising into his chest. The German immediately raised his hands in an obvious gesture of peace.

“I’m Fritz,” he said.

“Yeah, so I see.” Todd’s chuckle petered out as a blond eyebrow was raised in reply, making his brain realize that he’d been offered a name — not a nationality. “I’m sorry,” he blurted.

“No, no. It made you smile.”

“Uhm,” Todd began, not sure how to interpret that statement.

“You can call me Reinhardt instead. It’s my surname.”

“Oh, all right. My name is Todd.”

A look of displeasure crossed the German’s — Reinhardt’s — face, erasing the friendly smile for a split second. Since it vanished as quickly as it’d come, Todd didn’t question it.

“I don’t have anything fun to trade, if that’s what you want.”

“No,” Reinhardt said simply as he took the final few steps needed to stand by Todd’s side. “I just saw you over here, alone. Maybe I could keep you company, I thought.”

“That’s… nice of you,” Todd mumbled.

“Not really. I merely didn’t think anyone should be by their own tonight.”

Wanting to change the subject, Todd faked a grin. “You speak really good English.”

“I worked as a waiter in England, before I was called home.”

“Do you plan on returning there?” The question left his mouth before he could stop it. He could’ve bitten off his tongue, but Reinhardt just smiled.

“Maybe,” he said. “If I can.”

“I-I hope you can,” Todd offered.

Light blue eyes met his. “Thanks. The same goes for you; I hope you’ll make it home.”

The lump in his throat was making its return. Blinking rapidly, Todd clenched his fists. “I should head back now.” Without waiting for a reply, he turned around.

An arm shot out and stopped him before he’d even gotten a meter on his way. His heart skipped a beat, but Reinhardt made no further move to attack. He simply reached out, touching Todd’s cheek with his cold fingers.

“What are you doing?”

The fingers gently wiped at his skin — which was rapidly heating up, much to Todd’s embarrassment — before lowering. Reinhardt retained the hold on his body, however.

“Your face was striped,” he said. He hesitated, before explaining further, “The tears had made tracks through the dirt.”

Breaking the hold with more force than strictly necessary, Todd scrubbed his face with the edge of his jacket. It was caked in dried mud and God only knew what else, but he didn’t care.

“There’s no shame in it.” Reinhardt’s voice was soft, and without a trace of mockery. “I simply thought you might not want your comrades to know.”

Todd briskly nodded, hoping the gratitude he was unable to voice wouldn’t go unnoticed.

They stood in silence for quite some time, as Todd composed himself. He could still feel Reinhardt’s touch ghosting over his skin, when it dawned on him.

“Do you not have any gloves, man?”

Reinhardt looked taken aback by the sudden outburst, before a sheepish look passed over his features. “No…” he mumbled, “I lost them when the trench was flooded.”

Without hesitation, Todd removed his gloves and held them out towards the other man. “Here, take these.”

Reinhardt took a step back. “I couldn’t.”

“It’s fine, I have another pair.” When the man still made no move to accept the gift, Todd closed the distance between them and shoved the gloves at him. Reinhardt’s hands rose automatically, and their fingers touched before Todd withdrew.

“I don’t know what to give you in return,” he said, touching the gloves with something akin to reverence.

“That’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

Reinhardt lifted his head. He was biting his bottom lip, and looked nervous. “If I ask you to close your eyes, would you trust me enough to do it?”

Todd frowned. “What?”

“Would you?”

“I guess so,” he said after a moment’s thought, deciding that it was highly unlikely that Reinhardt would actually try to do him harm.

“Then please do so.”

Todd gave him one last look before closing his eyes, relaxing a miniscule degree when he discovered no malice in Reinhardt’s face or stance.

Something touched his lips. Surprised, his eyes flew open only to be presented with a close-up view of Reinhardt’s blond hair. He was being kissed.

Reinhardt broke the chaste contact before he’d even had time to react. There was a sad smile on his lips. “That’s the only thing I have to give, I’m afraid.”

Todd could only stare, as his heart beat loudly enough to echo in his ears.

Reinhardt obviously didn’t think his silence was a good sign, as he attempted to joke it off. “Perhaps there’s mistletoe in the trees above us, yes?”

“Yes,” Todd managed to say, “perhaps there is.” He closed his eyes again.

This time, he had to wait. He was about to give up, mentally cursing at himself for his foolishness, when the lips descended anew.

The contact was questing now, asking without words. Todd parted his lips in answer.

A strangled sound escaped Reinhardt’s throat, and the kiss deepened. The inside of his mouth was surprisingly warm, and Todd wrapped his arms around the man who’d been the enemy just a mere day ago — who still was the enemy, despite everything.

“I didn’t want to be alone, either,” Reinhardt gasped between kisses. “When I saw you, I hoped…” he trailed off, words swallowed by Todd’s mouth, but the confession was clear nonetheless.

“I understand,” he replied, letting out a low moan as Reinhardt’s knee found its way in between his legs.

His back slammed up against a tree. Lips alternatively biting and sucking at Reinhardt’s neck, he licked at the man’s protruding Adam’s apple when his head tilted back and gave Todd free access.

Todd groaned, unable to bear the slow grinding of hips any longer. “Reinhardt! Please,” he begged, only barely comprehending what he was truly asking for.

But his plea was heard, and understood. A hand crept under his clothes, splaying cold fingers over his stomach.

“Sorry,” Reinhardt said, “need to warm them up first.”

“I do appreciate that, but couldn’t you have done so somewhere else? Somewhere that isn’t my body?” Todd laughed.

“It’s not so bad,” Reinhardt whispered, slowly trailing his fingers up Todd’s torso to gently tease his nipples.

“You’re right,” Todd groaned.

Reinhardt smirked in response, tipping his head forward for a slow kiss. His fingers began traveling down, unbuttoning trousers before finally wrapping themselves around Todd’s length. Todd’s head snapped back, connecting with the trunk of the tree with an audible clonk.

Reinhardt snickered. “Easy, don’t hurt yourself.”

“Shut up,” Todd muttered, blindly reaching down to return the favor. It took a bit of doing before he finally got the clothes undone, distracted as he was with Reinhardt’s ministrations.

Reinhardt sucked in a breath when the cold air hit his lower regions, and Todd smiled apologetically. His fingers stroked the golden curls before following the length to its blunt end, gently wiping up the drop of pre-come.

Eyes the color of the sky on a good day fastened on his hand as he slowly brought it to his mouth, tongue darting out to taste the fluid. Reinhardt shuddered, slumping forward and making their naked groins press together.

It was too much for both of them, and in a flurry of motion they brought each other to their respective climax. Todd came first, but dutifully kept on stroking; determined to give the same kind of pleasure to his newfound friend and lover.

They stayed together for a long time afterwards, in a loose embrace. Todd felt warm to the bone, and safe — neither of which he’d felt since before the war. Reinhardt’s fingers combed through his hair, gently trying to fix the muddied tangles.

“I’m glad you came over to me,” Todd whispered.

“Yeah, me too.”

Silence reigned again, quiet enough for the sounds of caroling — in mixed German and English — to drift over. A part of Todd wanted to cry again, but it was a part of him that had begun to fade away. He didn’t think he’d cry again.

“How long do you think it’ll last?”

Reinhardt sighed, warm breath fanning out over Todd’s temple. “I don’t know,” he said. “I wish it would last forever.”

“That’d be nice, wouldn’t it? But what we’ve received is still a Christmas miracle, even if it doesn’t go on.”

Reinhardt stepped away, beginning to straighten his clothes. Saddened, but understanding the necessity of it, Todd mimicked his actions.

There was a darkness in the blue eyes, that hadn’t been present before. Their meeting had helped Todd more than he could ever say, but it seemed to have done the opposite for Reinhardt.

Not knowing how to make him feel better, but desperately wanting to help somehow, Todd walked over to Reinhardt and — surging up on his tiptoes — kissed his forehead.

“If we have peace tomorrow as well, I want to see you.”

Reinhardt didn’t meet his eyes. “And if we don’t,” he said, “I pray I never see you again.”