Chapter One: Snowed Under

Freezing gusts of winds blew across my face, making me wish I was anywhere else but the scarcely lit train station (and without even a cup of coffee in hand to warm me up). The bitter cold slammed against my cheeks, and I flinched, closing my eyes as it grew in strength before dying down. I slid my sleeves up, checking the time. The train should have been here five minutes ago.

I sigh, my breath leaving a white trail of smoke in the air, and adjust my scarf so that it covered the area just above my nose. It wasn't too cold that I needed to wear my woolen gloves, but I wish I had worn them anyway. It was too late now - I had stuffed deep inside my briefcase, and the train was about to arrive in any minute now.

The train station was just about deserted, save for an elderly couple sitting on a bench together, huddling for warmth. I had given them my thickest coat, which they had both wrapped around their backs, but I don't think that was enough. I shifted, feeling guilty, but I couldn't do anything since I didn't have anything else to give them. Other than my scarf, of course, but they each had their own, wrapped many times around their necks. I stare at them inconspicuously from the corner of my eyes, and smile to myself because they looked really cute together.

I look away when I hear the familiar sound of a train's wheels rattling against metal tracks, ringing, rumbling in that reassuring manner. The hiss of the breaks jolts me into action, and I turn around hastily to help the elderly couple up and onto the train's platform. The three of us got on with little hassle. We went our separate ways once I'd helped them settle into their compartment, stowing away their belongings and taking back the wool coat I borrowed them. It was nice and warm inside the train, a stark contrast to the frigid wind just outside of it. It pleased me to no end when I finally made it to my assigned compartment, and slumping down onto the comfortable cushions. Not to mention, I was it's sole occupant.

I had little doubt it would remain empty for the duration of my train ride back to my hometown, Namimori. I knew for a fact that it was a little place, and few people ever coming to visit. I myself was only heading there because I had promised to visit my mother, and also to check up on the (admittedly very) few of my friends I had.

Losing myself in the memory of the past, I let nostalgia overwhelm me and sleep cloud my vision. My eyes began to droop, and ever so slowly I drifted off into the abyss.

My nap ended abruptly, in a most painful way. I had jolted awake, my face slamming into the seat opposite mine. For whatever reason, the train had stopped.

Laying still for a moment, I tried to regain my bearings, and sort out the mess in my head. The train felt colder now than before, and I wondered if that was a part of the reason why my ride had ceased moving. I lay my hands open palmed, flat against the rough cotton seat, and pushed myself up. The way I had been literally flung across the compartment had me on my knees, my legs a tangled mess. It was an uncomfortable position, to say the least, but it was one I got out of easily.

My mind successfully registered a few things after that. One was that the faint tap tap tap-ing originated from outside the train. It was snowing. But if snow was rain, then outside there was a heavy downpour. 'Is that why the train stopped?' I thought to myself. There was a high chance that was the reason, but I honestly wasn't too keen on finding out the exact why's.

Besides, I'm sure someone's going to solve the problem sooner or later. All I had to do was wait. And maybe even check up on the elderly couple further up the train later. In the meantime, I seated myself on the seat right next to the window, and made myself comfortable. I checked my wrist watch, noting that it'd only been an hour since I fell asleep.

All of a sudden, I heard a loud bang.

The door separating each train section had been slid open, rather roughly. I instinctively straightened my back, and turned my head towards the door to the train compartment. I felt like I was in middle school all over again, with the disciplinary committee classroom checks that happened every other week or so.

Gradually, the doors from each of the train compartments, starting from the front, to the back where I was, were slid open and then closed.

Eventually I came to the conclusion that it was probably just the manager doing their rounds, checking if passengers had their train tickets, whether or not someone had boarded the correct train, and so on. At that, I relaxed, but only just a bit.

As the noise grew louder and louder with each passing second, I began to mentally prepare myself. I was never, had never, been good with people who had high authority. They made me a nervous wreck, simply put. Even if they were just a kindly old lady, simply knowing that they were in a position of power had me sweating bullets.

Just then, the door slid open. And in front of me stood the man who had broke my heart so many years ago.

Hibari Kyouya.

a/n first of all i apologize
i really wanted to write a stuck in a train in the middle of nowhere au, sorry.
chapters will be short, um, i sorta know where i'm going with this? characters are going to be really ooc - mostly because they'll have matured a lot, which is to be expected, since they'll be of adult age (mid twenties? maybe younger. regardless.)

if you have the time, reviews would be lovely. thank you! have a nice day!