A/N: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn or the song Baby, It's Cold Outside, both of which are property of their respective owners. I own only this story.


SHOT TWELVE: BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE {SHAMAL}

But don't you see - How can you do this thing to me
There's bound to be talk tomorrow - Making my life long sorrow
At least there will be plenty implied - If you caught pneumonia and died
I really can't stay - Get over that old out
Ahh, but it's cold outside

And isn't it funny how it's never the arrival that's hard but the departure?

You were in Japan for a bit of a vacation, so to speak, and had decided to drop through Namimori and catch a peek at the kid who would become the next Vongola boss. As a Cavallone family member, you'd heard good things about the kid but had as of yet to see him in person. It was to your surprise that you found out that Trident Shamal was also in Japan. Last you'd heard he'd been kicking around Italy somewhere, charming the hell out of women and getting his ass in hot water for that. The usual with him in other words.

You'd actually been quite overjoyed to hear that your old friend was in town and had dropped by to see him. You'd been pretty busy though, things to do, people to see and the two of you had made plans to meet up at his house later that evening for dinner and catching up.

Though it had been lightly snowing when you made your way over to the apartment he was staying in, the weather hadn't worried you at all. It was winter after all and a little snow was to be expected. The evening went wonderfully. Though the two of you hadn't seen each other in nearly a year, once the two of you got together it always felt like you guys had never parted. You'd known each other for going on thirty years now and had stayed friends through all those years. You knew each others quirks and secrets, the nasty habits and the oddities of the other and you put up with them.

Dinner had been wonderful. You'd brought the wine, Shamal had cooked. No one would ever guess that Shamal was the great cook that he was and it was a good thing that he was as if you'd been the one cooking dinner the night most likely would have included a visit from the fire department. Conversation had flowed all night, the two of you catching up, talking about the old times. You'd talked about people you used to know, people you knew now, and people you never hoped to meet. He joked around about how he wanted to sleep with you and you joked around about how you wanted to sleep with him even though both of you knew that neither of you were really joking too much.

But isn't it funny how time gets the best of us all? As Shamal rose from the couch you'd ended up on for much of the night following dinner, going to refill your drinks, he looked over to the clock.

"Getting late," he commented absently, heading towards the kitchen.

Murmuring out a slight 'hmm', you turned your eyes towards the clock as well. It was ten thirty at night now, a good four and a half hours since you'd arrived. You were quite shocked by that; it felt like you had just arrived barely an hour or so ago. It was late now, much later than you'd imagined and you really should be heading home soon.

Shamal came back into the room, carrying your refreshed drinks just as you were rising from the couch, planning on heading out after saying goodbye.

"Going somewhere, (y/n)?"

"Umm, yeah. I should be heading home now," you said, skirting around him and heading towards the living room door.

"Aww…already? But it feels like you just got here."

"Yeah, I know. I really don't know where all that time goes."

"Well, you know what they say about time flying when you're having fun."

"Ah, true. It's been great Shamal, but I really should be going."

"Haven't you looked outside, (y/n)?" Shamal asked, chuckling softly.

You turned back around to face him at this, a confused look on your face. Now that he mentioned it, you really hadn't taken a look outside since you'd arrived. Changing your course of direction, you hurried over to the window and pulled back one of the curtains, looking out the window. Damn. What had been a little snowfall when you'd arrived had increased and the snow was piling up outside, approaching a near white-out.

"Damn. That's going to be fun to walk home in," you muttered out. Shamal, who had set the drinks on the coffee table, came to stand behind you.

"Why don't you wait a bit and see if it calms down? Come on, have your drink and then you can see if you can grab a cab or something, okay?"

You nodded as his hand came to rest on the small of your back, letting him steer you back to the couch. But one drink turned into two, then three and time got away from you again. The next time you looked up, the clock now read midnight. With a strangled gasp, once more you popped up from the couch, hurriedly muttering to Shamal as you hurried towards the kitchen.

"Hey Shamal, I'm borrowing your phone for a second to call a cab," you called over your shoulder to the man, your hands already picking up the receiver and starting to dial the number of a local cab company.

"Go ahead but I doubt you're going to have much luck. The cabs stop running this late at night."

Your hand paused over the button and with a gentle click, you hung up the receiver. Your stocking feet padded over the cold tile of the kitchen floor as you walked back to the doorway, peering around the corner into the living room.

"What?"

"Yeah, there's no cabs running this late and it's still snowing."

"Damn, I'll just walk then! I'll be leaving then, okay?" you said, turning and heading for the entry way. As much as you didn't want to walk through all that snow, out in the biting cold, you really should be getting going. You should've left, in fact, a couple hours ago when you'd first thought of it.

"You know," Shamal called out to your retreating figure. "You could always stay here tonight."

You laughed, never pausing as you reached the entryway and starting getting ready to leave.

"Wow Shamal! Given your reputation with women, I'd have thought you'd have smoother lines than that," you joked around, pulling on your hat.

Shamal made his way lazily into the entry way, looking at you with a fond smile.

"Haha. Very funny. I was being serious, you goof," he said, reaching out and pulling the hat off your head, tossing it at you before his hand came up to muss up your hair. You made a little sound of protest which he just laughed at.

"You look cute like that, by the way. With your hair all messed up," he said, grinning down at you.

"Aww, thanks," you replied, your tone joking as you moved to put the hat back on. Stepping closer, Shamal caught your hands before you could put it on.

"Come on. You really shouldn't be walking out in that tonight. I'm serious. You should really just stay over tonight."

You didn't think twice at how close he was. Shamal had always been touchy feely after all.

"No thanks. I'll be fine."

"It's really cold out though. I'd feel like an ass if you went out in that. Come on now; help me save my pride as a gentleman."

"You, a gentleman? Psh, since when?"

"Hey, I'm always a gentleman!"

"Yeah, sure!"

His hands dropped back to his sides as you turned away, grabbing your coat and starting to put it on.

"(Y/n). It's a blizzard out there."

"I'm not spending the night with you, Shamal."

"Why? Is my place that horrible?"

"No," you said, turning to stare at him. You really hadn't meant anything offensive and were worried that that was how it had come off. He was just smiling down at you still though and you realized quickly he had just been joking and continued to pull your coat on.

"You're going to freeze out there."

"I'll be fine, Shamal."

"Really, you could catch pneumonia and die."

"Well, aren't you the optimist."

"Well, I'd be really sad if that happened and it will."

Your eyes flickered up to his, sizing him up.

"I'm not going to spend the night being one of your bed buddies, Shamal," you said seriously.

"I do have a guest room."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's called the couch," he said, moving towards you. His hands came up to grab the front of your coat, his face turning serious. His hands pushed the coat backwards, sliding it down your arms as he leaned down, bringing his lips down onto yours softly. It was a quick kiss, soft and gentle and as he pulled away, he leaned his forehead against yours as his hands slipped your coat all the way off, the jacket falling to the floor.

"Just stay, okay?"

"Well, it is really cold out," you whispered distractedly as his lips came to press against yours quickly again.

"Yeah," he muttered, pulling away briefly before placing another deeper kiss on your lips.

You weren't going anywhere tonight.