A Snowy Love

A sixteen-year-old boy walked down a mountain path in search of his best friend. He held his thinning robe close to his body with one hand and held the tip of his hood with the other. The strong wind swept the blizzard snow around. The dimming light added to the low visibility. His dark brown eyes scanned everywhere as he called out his friend's name.
With no answer to his call, he marched forward. Worry was heavy on his mind. 'I hope to the gods that he is alive.' He'd been meaning to confess for a while now and had planned to as soon as he returned from his journey to the capital. He'd come home to find out that his crush had been missing for all day. As soon as his mother said those words, he was out the door.
He stopped when he saw bloody footprints on the path. 'Deniz!' He quickly followed the footprints to his friend. "Deniz!" he called out when he saw him against a tree.
Deniz opened his red eyes. He looked up and saw him. "Ace!" he said weakly. "Help me!"
Ace helped him up off the ground and they started back home. The blizzard didn't take long to force them to take shelter in a cave along the path. Ace lit a fire with the flint in his satchel after gathering wood. Deniz winced as Ace began treating his wound on his leg. "What happened to you?"
"I was out hunting when a wolf pack attacked. I lost my bow while running and falling down a cliff. I lost the pack but was unable to make sense of the direction home was in. I guess I was heading away. I don't know what hurt my leg but it was probably a branch hanging out of the cliff."
"You shouldn't have left without your brother."
"You know Dagger wouldn't help."
He sighed. "I know." He hated his brother because of the way he treated Deniz.
An hour or so passed before he spoke again. "Um...Deniz..."
"Yeah?" he asked as he looked up at him. He was leaning against him. Ace looked down at him, his cheeks a light pink. Deniz was looking at him expectantly.
"I....guess now is a better time than any....um....I....I love you."
Deniz blushed and smiled after a moment of surprise. "I love you, too."
Ace blushed more. Deniz chuckled and took his hand before kissing him. "I'm so happy to know you return my feelings."
"Me, too," Ace said with a smile.
They kissed again, each full of love for the other.