Snowfall
Summary: Snippets of time between our favorite Baccano! characters in winter. Multiple pairings inside.
Pairings: Ladd/Lua, Claire/Chane, Nice/Jacuzzi, Isaac/Miria, and Firo/Ennis
A/N: I just love Baccano! so much it hurts XD so here's more of my contribution to a dwindling fanbase, lol. Anyway, please drop a review if you get the chance and tell me what ya think! Thanks! Oh, and if any of you guys want to RP/discuss Baccano I've made a Forum called 'Of Trains, Bootleggers, and Psychopaths: Baccano!'… so, yah :3
I tried to make each vignette similar in length but I apologize if one seems longer than the other!
Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own Baccano!
i. ghost
The pair gazed into the setting sun, watching as the sky turned a bleeding red.
"Isn't it beautiful, Lua? It's like the sun's dying just for us! And its ghost, the moon, will continue to watch over us as we paint the snow in blood!"
He gave a soft kiss to her cheek, thumb brushing gently against her bottom lip. The honey-blonde recoiled slightly as the man stood up, ruffling her hair. He chuckled at her reaction, reaching for the shotgun strapped around his shoulder.
"Well, dollface, looks like the party's arrived. Don't worry, I promise I won't get blood on ya, just the snow. Cause what's better than the contrast between pure white and crimson?"
As screams and gunshots echoed in the winter sky, Lua watched until even the snowflakes looked like blood.
Her words were barely above a whisper, lost in the sound of heavy artillery, but Ladd heard them crystal clear, "Ghosts aren't born, they are created…"
"That they are, Lua. We create them and we destroy them." He responded just as he stabbed a man in the heart, twisting the dagger in cruelly. The body fell with a sickening thump.
"They are all my ghosts. And some day, you'll be one too, love."
Every drop of crimson against white was meant for her, to prove his undying devotion to the woman he loved.
ii. smoke
A couple sat on top of a broken locomotive in a graveyard of trains. In the distance grey puffs of smoke broke over the horizon, trailing across the sky like a wave of fog.
"Isn't it great, Chane? I'm sure there's another train out there, one that will go on and on forever because I dictate it as such!"
She just shook her head, smiling.
"Heh, I'm overdoing it again, aren't I?" He fell back against the train, staring up at the lethargic clouds as they moved languidly in the sky. The raven-haired woman followed suit.
Together, they watched as the first snowflakes fell from the sky.
"This is actually kind of nostalgic. Back when I lived with the Gandors we used to watch for the first signs of snow. When we were kids we'd sit by the large window in the drawing room and share stories and hot chocolate until it started snowing. It was sort of stupid cause we never did catch the first snowflake, but it was fun…" He trailed off, jumping to his feet to pull some acrobatic stunt, a cocky smile plastered to his face. The topaz-eyed woman merely rolled her eyes, used to Claire's eccentricities.
"Come on, darling! Let's do something fun! It's the holiday season and no one should be feeling mopey or sad!" The ex-Rail Tracer grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet.
They danced together, the only movement in a sea of broken trains. Flakes of snow twirled in the cold air, as if copying their little waltz.
And they were happy as the world spun around them…
iii. sleep
It was adorable, really.
Nice chuckled as she walked into the room, a mop of brown hair sticking out from under the heavy covers. "Hey, Jacuzzi, it's Christmas mornin'! Everyone's already waitin' downstairs to open their presents!"
The bootlegger merely hugged his pillow tighter in response, soft snores slipping from his lips.
"Heh, you can't fool me, Jacuzzi. I know you're awake. You talk in your sleep, ya know."
"...No I don't." He replied childishly, burrowing his face in the feather-soft pillow.
"Jacuzzi…" The woman crossed the room to sit on the man's bed, giving a large grin.
"You're such a kid sometimes… but, I love ya regardless."
The statement caused the boy to blush heavily, loosening his grip on the pillow. He hesitantly moved his head to the side, face a bright pink. "Y-you mean it? Ya really love me?"
Nice laughed, pulling the bootlegger by the back of his collar. He sat up against the headboard, smiling up at the blonde-haired pyromaniac.
"Of course I do, silly! Now, let's go downstairs before I'm tempted to hide a cherry bomb under your bed!"
Jacuzzi nodded, pushing the covers off himself before startling. "W-wait! Y-ya wouldn't actually do that, would ya Nice?"
"Hehehe, I was just kidding!" She grabbed his hand, leading him towards the open door.
"Uh, Nice… Iloveyoutoo." He clumsily mumbled out before pecking her lightly on the cheek.
She stood shocked as the brunette man skidded down the staircase. A loud thud followed by laughter emerged from downstairs and the woman had to shake her head. Jacuzzi had probably barreled into the Christmas tree in his clumsy rush.
He was truly something, she realized, waiting for the pink tint on her cheeks to disappear before following after him.
And she never wanted him to change…
iv. adventure
The blonde turned her attention to the towering Christmas tree, eyes widening with glee.
"Isn't it beautiful, Isaac?" She breathed, adjusting her Santa Clause hat.
"It is, Miria!" He agreed, clasping the petite woman on the shoulder.
"We should get this tree and bring it back to our house! Then, we can put all of our presents, the one's we got for ourselves and for our friends, under the tree! Everyone will be so overjoyed at such a large tree!"
"That's right! But, Isaac… there's one problem!"
"R-really? What is it, Miria?"
"We've run out of money!"
"Noooo!" They said in unison, hugging each other tightly as crocodile tears streamed down their faces. Other customers in the store eyed the couple wearily before continuing with their Christmas shopping.
"Wait! I've got it! Let's just adventure outside and find the biggest oak tree and cut it down! Then, we can be sure we'll have the tallest Christmas tree ever!"
"That's a great idea, Isaac! You're so smart!"
"Thank you, Miria. Now, come on, we've got a tree to find!"
Both walked out of the store, arms linked as they traversed the snow-trodden streets.
"…Hey, Isaac." Miria started, voice uncharacteristically void of enthusiasm.
"What's wrong, Miria?" He turned to his partner, grabbing her shoulders.
"It's just… isn't an adventure dangerous? We've been lucky before but what if you get hurt?"
"Impossible! I can't get hurt when you're around! Ever since I've met you it's been a string of good luck! You're like my own personal four-leaf clover!"
"R-really?"
The man nodded, pulling the blonde into a tight hug. "As long as you're beside me I feel like I can do anything!"
"Me too!" The cinnamon-eyed woman grinned widely, walking beside the brown-haired man.
And they would continue to walk side by side for centuries to come…
v. promise
"You've never seen snow?" Firo asked incredulously, staring at the auburn-haired woman.
"No… for as long as I can remember, I've never seen a single snowflake."
"W-well that just can't be! Let's go to the park. We can sit on the bench and wait for the snow to fall."
"But, won't that inconvenience you—"
"Of course not! I've told you Ennis, I don't mind spending time with you." He cut in, grabbing her by the wrist.
"Come on, the park's just a few blocks away!"
The woman nodded, allowing herself to be led down the street by Firo. She silently observed the man as he pulled her along, from his silky, tanned locks to his mahogany eyes. Forcing herself to stare up at the clouds instead, she couldn't shake off the hint of a blush that had dusted her cheeks.
The pair sat on the wooden park bench, heads tipped to the sky as the clouds drifted through the blue. They chatted about mundane, everyday things until the sun had sunk beneath the horizon. There hadn't been even a single snowflake.
"I'm sorry, Ennis. I really thought it was going to snow today. I promise that as soon as a single snowflake drops I'll be right there to point it out to ya."
The red-headed woman shook her head, fixing her gaze to the ground. "Today was… fun. Thank you, Firo, for showing me something just as special as snow. You've done more than I could ever repay."
The man turned away, blushing slightly. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, letting out a sigh, "It was nothin', really. Come on, let's go home." He held out his hand, looking away.
Smiling, she took it. Together, they walked the empty streets toward their home. And out of the corner of her eye, she swore she saw a single snowflake fall to the ground.
It was only a moment in a sea of time… but, it was a memory she cherished.
A/N: Hope you guys liked it! As usual, please leave a comment or suggestion if you get the chance! Thanks!
-Isis