I-pin cleaned the remaining dishes thoroughly, but hurriedly. It was the last chore of the day before work ended, and she was anxious to get home. The last customers had already come and gone, after she finished she'd be off for the weekend. The ramen shop didn't normally close on weekends, but this one was different. It was Christmas, and she was taking a trip with Hibari. To make it even more special, Fon had generously given her Monday off as well. Three relaxing days alone with her lover in a lodge away from the city.
She rinsed the last bowl and set it to dry, quickly wiping her hands on a nearby towel. Fon peaked halfway into the kitchen and smiled. "Done so soon? I knew you were excited, but I didn't think you'd finish this quickly." I-pin blushed slightly and smiled back, "Thank you for letting me have the weekend off." She didn't need to explain what motivated her. When Hibari showed up earlier in the week asking for I-pin to have a vacation, Fon had immediately agreed and made the preparations to close the shop for a few days. He walked in and patted her head gently, "You've more than earned a few days off. I hope you enjoy your trip." I-pin nodded and hugged him quickly, "Thank you Shishou! Merry Christmas!" She waved as she ran out the door, leaving Fon smiling behind her.
She made her way home, passing a few friends as she went, waving and wishing them a Merry Christmas. As she neared the front door, she noticed Hibari's motorcycle parked in front. "He must be home and packing already," she thought to herself, slipping her shoes off and shutting the door behind her. "I'm home!," no reply. She didn't think much of it; he was probably working on something. She went to the bathroom and grabbed a small bag to put her toothbrush and other things in, only grabbing things she knew she'd need.
A soft knock on the door let her know who it was, only one person knocked the way he did. Hibari came in behind her and smiled slightly, looking her in the eye through the mirror, "Welcome home." She was just about to turn and face him when he leaned down and kissed the side of her neck. Surprised, she blushed but smiled, "Hey! What's that for?" He pulled a red motorcycle helmet from behind his back and placed it in her hands. Her face lit up, having an idea why he was giving it to her. "I just finished painting it. I thought it'd look cooler this way." She lightly ran her hand over the top, noting the black and gold dragons and stripes he had intricately painted on. "Does this mean we're taking the motorcycle?" she leaned her head backwards trying to look up at him. He smiled and kissed the top of her head, "An early Christmas present."
She turned and smiled brightly at him, "Thank you Hibari." The shorter girl stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek before walking to her bedroom to finish packing. She filled her backpack with the few things she needed, apparently he had been to the lodge already and taken clothes and food for them. She changed into warmer clothes and put on her favorite jacket, making sure her hair was out of the way before putting her new helmet on. Hibari came in again, this time wearing black jeans and shoes, his black leather jacket and a black motorcycle helmet, "Ready?" I-pin nodded and followed him to the door.
The lodge was in the mountains a couple of hours from Namimori, secluded from the noise and rush of the city. I-pin sat on the back of the bike with her arms around Hibari's waist, slowly drifting closer and closer to sleep. The only things keeping her awake at this point were the excitement of riding with Hibari and looking at the scenery around them. She greatly appreciated nature and didn't often get to see mountain rivers and all the life of a forest anymore. Being such a comfortable trip up there, it was no surprise she was relaxed enough to sleep; holding the one she loved, the hum of the bike, the cool air blowing around them. She was thankful she had dressed warmly, the higher they went on the mountain, the colder it got. She pressed closer against Hibari, trying to get warm from hugging his back. She felt him sit up straighter and laughed to herself, knowing the reason why...
As they pulled up to their destination, a light snow started falling, clinging to the tops of the trees and forming small patches of white at their feet. Hibari walked his motorcycle into a small shed and came back, gently taking her hand. "What do you think?" he said, looking down at her. "I love it! It's so quiet here. Not even birds are chirping." I-pin looked up to the sky, searching for any birds that may happen to be flying by. They walked around the building, taking in their surroundings. It was located in a redwood forest and a small stream nearby lead into a pond behind the cabin. "It's starting to get dark," Hibari said, starting for the door, "Tomorrow we'll go to the pond and see if the ducks are still there." I-pin looked so excited, she could barely contain herself. This was sure to be the best Christmas she'd ever had.
Inside their cabin was just as impressive as outside. It had everything you would need to live there and more. Upstairs were two bedrooms with their own bathrooms, though they only needed one. The main floor had the kitchen, dining room, and a room they could only guess to be a library. There even was a basement with a wine cellar. The living room was definitely the main attraction though. Stemming off from the dining room was what at first seemed to be a patio. On closer inspection, it was a room large enough to be a small house. In the middle of the room was a circular pit that had a fireplace in it with one single couch filling the space around it. On the side of the room was a long counter with a fridge and cabinet set up to be a bar. All of this overlooked the pond and pier through the windows, which took up most of the wall on that side. Above them were several skylights which had a clear view of the sky, unmarred by any trees. I-pin was stunned, "How did you afford this place? It's amazing." Hibari smiled and put his arm around her waist, leaving her to wonder.
The rest of the evening went quickly for them. They unpacked and made themselves comfortable, which was little trouble due to the cozy feeling the place had. I-pin found everything she could ask for in the kitchen, she was taken back that she found literally every type of food that came to mind. "Hibari? Love? What would you like for dinner," she yelled to the other room. Hibari walked in, tying an apron around his waist, "I thought we could cook together." I-pin was astounded. She thought to herself, her eyes still widened, "Can this be real? This all seems too good to be true, but now he even wants to cook with me?" She nodded and they got to work, fixing a nice dinner which they promptly enjoyed afterwards.
"I'm going to change. I'm cold. Can you take care of the dishes?" I-pin asked, holding onto Hibari's arm. "Sure," he smiled, "I'll have something for you when you get back." This intrigued her. She went to their room and changed into a sweater and thicker socks. Just for fun, she wanted to try and slide her way into the kitchen using the hardwood floor. She backed up and ran, stopping suddenly with her fist in the air as if she were flying. No longer in her control, her momentum carried her forward to a perfect landing... right in front of Hibari. Her face turned red as she looked up at him, afraid he'd think she was crazy. Instead, he was smiling. After a few seconds, they both burst out laughing. She was a bit embarrassed, but she felt happy. They hardly ever joked around like this. He placed his hand on her head, still laughing a bit, "I made hot chocolate for us. It's getting pretty cold, so I thought you'd like some. It's the kind that comes in the little package though so I'm not sure if it'll be great..." I-pin kissed his cheek, "I'm sure it's fine. Thank you." They took their drinks to the living room and sat in the pit surrounding the fireplace, talking about everything from how strange the couch was to how beautiful the forest and pond were.
A few hours later, they were still talking sporadically, but hit a sort of quiet patch. Wrapped in a blanket together and holding each other, they looked at the fire, feeling its warmth on their faces. I-pin broke the silence, "Hibari, is everything okay?" He was genuinely confused, "Hm? What do you mean?" She was afraid of sounding snobbish, "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, it's just, out of the blue you wanted to go on this trip, and you've been so sweet and you're even a lot more talkative. You've even been laughing!" He wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her onto his lap carefully, "Yes. Everything is fine." I-pin holds his arms, rubbing the back of his hands with her thumbs, still not convinced. He kisses the back of her neck, "I promise. Everything is fine. I'm just really happy to be here with you. It feels so good to be with you, alone, without everyone watching us and making noise." A thought occurred to her, "Y-you're shy aren't you? That's what it is!" She laughed and turned to him, expecting a glare but met with silence and averted eyes. "I'm right aren't I?," still no reply, but a slight blush appeared on his cheeks. She kissed him lightly, smiling. He kissed back and held onto her. "I guess I am, heh." He seemed completely different. Maybe he just needed this trip to loosen up. She was glad he wasn't feeling as uptight as usual. There was no need to press it further; she knew he meant what he said. They kissed again and laid down together, wrapped in the blanket. They drifted asleep in each others arms as the snow outside piled higher.
The next morning, they woke to find a blanket of snow outside and the pond frozen. I-pin sat up, rubbing her eyes and stretching; a quiet yawn escaped her lips. Hibari reached up and rubbed her back. "Merry Christmas," she said happily, still a bit groggy. "Merry Christmas," he said softly, a slight smirk on his face. He sat up and kissed her neck, making her blush, "Ah! What are you doing?" He laughed and kissed her cheek, and then her lips, still rubbing her back gently. She turned red, getting lost in his kiss, but returning it. She pulled back just far enough to whisper, "W-what about breakfast?" He smiled at her, giving a peck on her lips, "Alright. Later."
They got up and went about their business, brushing their teeth and getting ready for the day. I-pin made eggs and bacon for them both, setting it out in the dining room. As they ate, they talked about the day ahead, suddenly realizing they had no tree up. They got dressed as if they were going into a tundra, and went out in search of a tree. Thankfully, there was a small one not far from the house, almost the size of one of them. Hibari used the axe he brought with them and cut it down, dragging it back to the front of the building. I-pin cleared a path and Hibari cleaned and dragged it in, setting it up in the living room next to the bar. "What a trip," I-pin said, almost exhausted. Hibari laughed, "Walking through snow that deep, even barely up to our shins is tiring. Especially dragging a tree..." They laughed and put a few decorations on the tree from a box they found in the basement. "I like it. It's not big but it's cute," I-pin said, standing proudly, admiring it. "I know something else you like that IS big," he said, smiling slyly. "Hi-Hibari!," she turned red and hit him lightly. "You're such a..." she smiled, but still had her fist up to hit him again.
Still smiling, he put his jacket on and started for the door. "I'll be back in a bit. We're almost out of wood for the fireplace." I-pin nodded and went to fix dinner as it was already well past noon. Hibari stepped outside, looking around as if in a daze. He was sure he'd seen a firewood box near the cabin. He trudged around a bit, checking next to the shed with his motorcycle first.
I-pin, chopping food at the sink, noticed Hibari out the window, walking around somewhat aimlessly. She laughed to herself, feeling a bit bad for him. She could see the cloud of steam rise into the air each time he breathed. "My poor Hibari," she thought, smiling, "I'll make him something to warm up with when he comes in."
Hibari finally finds it again, and starts carrying in what he can, needing to take several trips to finish. Once the last pieces were in, he headed straight for the fireplace to warm up. I-pin came in behind him and held out a cup of coffee. "I can tell you're freezing, you looked like you were having trouble, haha." He rolled his eyes, "You saw that?" He took the cup and thanked her. "I smell something cooking. You're making dinner?" She was already almost out of the room, "Yep! But don't peek, it's supposed to be a surprise!" He smiled and turned back to the fire, looking out over the pond. He was glad he'd saved enough money for this. Initially, he had thought of using the money for his motorcycle or buying equipment for the school, but decided this would be much more worth it. He walked to the library, making sure not to peek in the kitchen as he passed it. As he scanned the shelves of books, he had an idea. Other than a chair and lamp in the corner, the room was devoid of furniture. "This would be a fine spot for an office," he thought aloud, imagining how it would look with a desk.
Not long after the idea dawned on him, he began searching the house for furniture suitable for his small project. He paused to think of a room no one would mind him plundering anything from. "The other bedroom," his feet were moving as soon as the words came to him. Luckily enough, there was a desk in the corner, empty of anything besides a small desk lamp. Being in as good of shape as he was, it was no problem to drag it down stairs, only needing to slow down to avoid denting or scraping the walls. He positioned the desk as he saw fit and brought in a few things to make it seem more complete. Hibari sat at the desk, enjoying his new "office". He leaned back in the chair and propped his feet up on the desk, putting his hands behind his head and smirked to himself. I-pin poked her head into the room, "Hibari? It's almost ready-, Haha, what are you doing?" She walked into the room and smiled at him, "What's this?" He sat back up and folded his hands at the desk, "I got bored. It seemed like a good room to take over." She giggled and walked over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder, "It does look nice, hehe," she leaned down and kissed the side of his head, "Oh! Dinner is ready though, and I set everything out in the dining room!"
Hibari nodded and got up to clean himself up a bit before meeting her in the dining room, seeing her still positioning things on the table. She turned and smiled happily. He returned the smile and looked at everything she made; mashed potatoes, yams with brown sugar and marshmallows topping it, coleslaw, white fish, corn on the cob, beets and bread rolls. He raised his eyebrows, honestly impressed, "Wow, this looks great. You're quite the chef." She blushed lightly and they took their seats. "I also made pudding with fruit chunks in it for after dinner. There are a few different flavors so you can choose what you like." They smiled at each other and ate, talking and enjoying their time together. They took their time, wanting to make it last as long as they could. After dinner, they both cleaned the table and washed the dishes and sat around the kitchen eating the pudding.
"Thank you for dinner, I-pin. It was delicious," Hibari said as he kissed her on the cheek. She turned a bit red and smiled back, "You're welcome. I'm glad you liked it! How's your pudding?" He took another bite and paused to analyze it, "Mmm. Pretty good. I liked the strawberry more than peach though. How's yours?" She stuck her tongue out, "Bleh. The banana chunks are all mushy," she put it aside, frowning. Hibari reached into the fridge and pulled out the orange one for her, knowing it was her favorite. "Hey, uhh, it's Christmas and we haven t opened presents," Hibari said, putting his bowl and spoon in the sink. "Oh!," I-pin ran out of the room and up the stairs to grab her backpack. She had hidden her gifts near the bottom, hoping that would be enough to keep Hibari from finding them. She brought them back down and placed them under the tree, seeing that her trip upstairs had bought him time to grab his as well.
He smiled and placed his arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek, "Merry Christmas, I-pin." She smiled and kissed back, "Merry Christmas. Sorry that they're small." "It's fine, the ones I got aren't big either. So, would you like to go first?" She nods and grabs one for her, smiling. As she went through the gifts, I-pin opens boxes with chocolates, a black qipao with red trim, a few new books of her favorite manga, and a small stuffed panda pillow. She giggled and hugged Hibari, "Thank you, hehe. Open yours!" Hibari pulled out his presents and opened them, smiling, finding a new tie, a watch, and a book inside. He smiled at I-pin, "Thank you, I like them," walking over to kiss the top of her head. "I know they're a bit lame but, I hoped you like them," she looked at him, smiling shyly. He laughed quietly and rubbed her head, "They're just fine, no worries," he hugged her, "Spending time with you is the best gift I could ask for." She blushed and held onto him. "You're a bit cold, would you like to sit by the fire?," he asked, making her realize that his hand was on her bare side. "Ah, hey!," she pulled the side of her shirt down, blushing a deeper red, "I guess I am cold though."
They took their presents with them and sat by the fire, cuddling together and flipping through their books. Hibari looked up from his and stared at I-pin, making her simper shyly, "Wh-what is it?" He kissed her softly, "I love you." Her eyes closed and she kissed back, this time not getting nervous or jumpy, "I love you too..." She laid her head on his chest, lightly tossing her book to a seat nearby. He set his aside as well and wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back. "Thank you for bringing me here Hibari," she said, looking up a bit. "It's no problem, I'm glad we could spend this time together." She smiled and buried her face in his chest for a moment before climbing on top of him, facing him. They both blushed and looked each other in the eye before kissing again, holding each other, wishing the weekend- the night together- would last forever...
They awoke in each others arms, still on the couch, the fire remaining as only an orange glow deep under the charred logs. They stayed like that for awhile, with their arms wrapped around each other, exchanging light kisses. She pressed herself against his chest when she felt the air move in the room, not used to the cold outside of their warm blanket. They sat up together in unison, the blanket wrapped tightly around them. "Good morning, love," Hibari said, kissing her forehead. "Good morning," she replied, happily but quiet. They got up and went to their room, putting on fresh clothes. Hibari glanced out the window. "Hey, the snow melted already," his bewildered tone let an air of satisfaction out with it. I-pin came out of the bathroom wearing a red sweater and white pants, scanning the floor for slippers. "Really? I wonder if the pond thawed too." They went down to the kitchen and made French toast together, messing around with different combinations of syrup, powdered sugar and whipped cream.
They finished and made hot chocolate, bringing it outside with them. "It's really foggy today," I-pin commented, holding her cup close to her face to cool it. Hibari started to walk around the back, "I wonder if they're back.. I hope the snow didn't scare them away." "Who?," she didn't need to wonder long. When Hibari dropped the bread crumbs into the water, the forms quickly swam out from the fog for them, gobbling up the pieces and quacking happily. "Oh my god!," she was excited enough she could have thrown her hands in the air. Remembering the cup, she didn't. She hurried over, trying to be quiet, she didn't want to scare them. Hibari turned and smiled, "I knew you'd love this," he handed her a few pieces of bread. She quickly tore them into small chunks and scattered them out, delighted at their apparent thankfulness. "They're so cute!," she bent down to let them eat a few pieces from her hand. They quacked and chirped and splashed back in the water, swimming off into the fog. "They must have a nest over there. I'm really glad they were able to stay warm enough yesterday," she said, still smiling.
Hibari laughed with her and put his arm around her, heading back inside. They grabbed a few snacks from the kitchen and headed up to their bedroom to lounge around. They laid on their bed for hours; reading, talking, joking around, listening to music together. They both loved this place. Of course they liked hanging out with their other friends, occasionally going on a crazy adventure, but this... This they loved. Even at home, their time "alone" was usually interrupted by something. But here they didn't have to worry. They could say anything they wanted, do anything they wanted, and no one would mess it up.
Suddenly, Hibari hopped up. "Hey, would you like to go on a walk?" I-pin smiled and stretched, "Sure!" Hibari grabbed his trenchcoat, leaving his gloves and hat behind, "It's not too cold outside, I think." "Alright," she said, struggling to pull her jacket on. She grabbed her scarf and wrapped it around her neck, not wanting the cool air to slip through the top of her jacket. They held hands and walked out, with Hibari leading her past the stream and further into the forest. "There s a path here. I didn't go too far, but wherever it leads, it would take quite awhile to walk there." They slowed down, admiring what was around them. By now, the cabin was barely visible, tiny and blocked from view by dozens and of trees. They stopped and looked at the peaceful beauty around them. The reddish brown trunks extended up as tall as they could see, ending at an explosion of dark green pine needles surrounded by blue and puffs of white in every direction. The path wasn't so much a "path" as it was a strip of heavily treaded earth, cleared of any bushes or rocks. But, it worked for the deer, and it was fine enough for them. Everywhere else had flowers of every type, boulders the size of cars, and bushes with leaves or needles. And though they could tell, but rarely see, were animals, still too timid to get near them. Every once in awhile, they would see a deer bounding off between the trees, or a rabbit scurrying across the path. I-pin spotted an owl in one of the lower branches, still dozing off in the light of day.
"This is the best..." she said, Hibari squeezed her hand a little tighter, "I love it here." She sighed, happy but a bit sad at the same time. "We better make the most out of today and tomorrow, before we have to go back into town." Hibari let go of her hand and faced her. "I-pin, there was another thing..." She looked at him, a little worried. "I wanted to tell you at a good time, but now seems perfect. You love the cabin, the lake, all of this out here?" She wasn't sure what he was telling her, "Of course, why?" "How would you feel about seeing this more often?" Her face flushed a few shades whiter and she opened her eyes. He smiled slightly, trying to hold it back, and took out a folded piece of paper and handed it to her. She opened it and read it, too shocked to comprehend anything, "Wh-what's this?" "Paper. I wanted to leave it up to you if we kept this place. We can buy it and stay here, but I know all our friends and the ramen shop- and the school- are still in town, even though it's not too far. We weren't just here as vacation, it was sort of a... trial." She was speechless, but threw her arms around him.
She hugged him and cried a bit, smiling into his chest. She looked up at him, still smiling, tears of joy and thankfulness still in her eyes. She could hardly believe it. He held onto her, smiling, waiting for her reply, knowing there was no need to rush her. No need, because he knew what she'd say. No need, because they had all the time in the world there now.