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They had been in the middle of yet another heated argument when the lights flickered and went dark. The whirr of the heater clicked off. In the darkness and near-silence, Alfred stated the obvious.
"The power's gone out."
They both blinked rapidly, trying to get their eyes to adjust to the new level of light (or lack thereof) faster. Soon, they both began to make out general shapes in the shadows that filled their shared home.
"Alfred, it would be best if you fetched some blankets, yes?" said Ivan. "Given how your heating, being electric, has clearly shut off, it will probably start to get colder than you are used to soon."
Alfred grinned. "Aw, is the precious little Russian afraid of the cold?" he mocked, patting Ivan's shoulder. "Don't worry, big guy—the hero will go get some blankets to chase the chill away."
"Chase the chill, hmm?" Ivan wondered. "Impressive use of alliteration there, sunflower. I was not aware you possessed the mental capacity for such a feat. Also, might I remind you that I deal with temperatures well below zero on your silly Fahrenheit scale on a daily basis back home. Your American winter can barely be compared to a Russian summer."
Laughing, Alfred punched him lightly in the shoulder before going off to fetch a mound of fabric that would likely end up larger than the two of them put together.
Ivan used this time to see if the the stove was working. Being gas, all it needed was a spark, and he found matches in a kitchen drawer. After lighting several candles, he set a kettle on to boil, fetching cocoa and the instant coffee that Alfred so loved from the pantry. Just as he was putting a pair of mugs and spoons down on the counter, the aforementioned American returned from his expedition.
"Hey, candles!" he exclaimed from the living room, having gone over there to drop the blankets off. "And—oh, hey, cocoa!" he noticed as he entered the kitchen. "You're the best, Ivan!"
"It is nothing," Ivan dismissed. "I see you have brought the blankets—" he had been right in guessing that the mass would be bigger than the two of them combined "—so we are all settled in now, yes? As long as the candles do not light anything on fire, we should be quite cozy until the electricity returns to function." At that moment, the kettle began to shriek like a punctured balloon, signaling that they could make cocoa now.
Upon seeing the instant coffee set out on the counter, Alfred could not contain himself and glomped Ivan. "Coffee!" he exclaimed in joy, clinging to tightly to his boyfriend's shoulders and hooking his ankles about Ivan's waist. "How'd you know I wanted coffee?"
Ivan chuckled, gently prying Alfred's limbs away. "Because, sunflower, I know you so well."
Alfred hummed contentedly, refusing to let go.
Ivan sighed. "Alfred, I love you dearly, and you are indeed very warm, but I think it would be best if you were to let go, yes? After all, you cannot easily make the coffee you love so if your hands are occupied."
Pouting and grumbling to himself, Alfred jumped down and began to mix up a combination of instant coffee, cocoa powder, and hot water in his mug. Blowing softly to cool it, he sipped, an expression of bliss sliding across his face as the hot liquid slid down to his stomach.
Smiling softly to himself at Alfred's expression, Ivan mixed up his own drink, identical to Alfred's except for the addition of a drop or two of vodka. It would keep him warm, he justified.
Once Alfred saw that Ivan had finished preparing his drink, he grabbed his boyfriend's arm and tugged him impatiently towards the living room, where he'd earlier dumped the mountain of blankets he'd brought.
They settled in, listening as the wind howled outside and watching as the tiny flames of the candles shone steadily, warding off the darkness like little guardian angels against the night.
Alfred was like a candle, Ivan mused, sipping absently at his drink and cuddling closer to his boyfriend. He refused to let people fall into the darkness of loneliness—it was part of his hero complex and also a large part of the reason Ivan loved him. He lit up the shadows in people's hearts and illuminated an entire room simply by being in it. Smiling affectionately, he pressed a soft kiss to Alfred's cheek.
"What was that for?" Alfred asked, turning his head to face Ivan.
"Do I need a reason to kiss you, sunflower?" Ivan asked.
Alfred shrugged. "Not really. I was just curious."
Ivan smiled. "Just thinking of all the reasons I love you, my little candle," he replied, pressing a second kiss to Alfred's lips.