Chapter 10

Author's Note: I'm sure you all have noticed that my posting times are kinda all over the board right now and that's because my husband and I are in the middle of moving. Everything is so chaotic right now, but at least I have managed to find time to post everyday. Please be patient with me and continue to enjoy my work!

They were as ready as they were going to get. They had their recipe and had watched countless of videos on the best way to make the candy canes without risk to themselves and all they had to do now, was get their ingredients and do a test batch.

However, that was easier said than done, as Atsushi's uncle and Tatsuki's father had already left that morning for the city and wouldn't be back until they knew for sure what the camouflaged box actually was. It left him on his own to care for the farm, do his schoolwork and feed himself and he seemed to be managing without too much trouble. The animals were fed and their paddocks were cleaned right on schedule, and when all was said and done, he would eat and do his schoolwork. All seemed to be going well, but he was suddenly faced with a problem.

He and Tatsuki needed to get to town to go to the store, and he had no rightful idea how to drive Zombie Truck, despite his uncle's attempts at teaching him.

Atsushi stood on the porch of his uncle's house, staring at the snow and the way Zombie Truck was glaring at him in the fading light with its wide open and round headlights. He glared right back with his hands stuffed into his coat and his nose buried in his muffler, and when his phone rang, his brows furrowed with irritation that he was going to have to take his hands out.

"Hello?" Atsushi deadpanned into his phone, holding it to his ear with a mitten covered hand.

"Hey, Atsu... Are you on your way?" It was Tatsuki.

"No... Um... Not yet, I mean." Atsushi grumbled as his cheeks started to feel warm, which was a relief from the cold.

"How come? Is everything okay?" She asked.

"Well, um... I uh-" He tried to find the words.

"Atsu... You don't know how to drive the truck do you." She said simply.

Atsushi's brows furrowed hard as he glared at the metal beast, "I can!... Uncle Hiroshi's been teaching me." He grumbled and pouted.

"Atsu-" She said.

Atsushi's forehead started to twitch, "Fine!... I can't get it right! It just stalls out every time I let that stupid clutch pedal out!"

Tatsuki laughed out loud, "Then why didn't you say so?"

"Because I wanted to drive us to the store." Atsushi mumbled and hid his face deeper into his muffler.

"Well, we aren't walking in this cold." She said, still with her giggle in her words.

"No shit! It's frigged out here!" Atsushi yelped.

"You're out on the porch, aren't you."

"Are you actually at the end of the driveway watching me, or something?" Atsushi rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm at home waiting on you, but I'll have Mom drop me off there and I'll teach you." She said, her tone light and teasing.

"Muro-Chin-" he whined, "It'll be embarrassing!" Atsushi grumbled and pouted even more.

"Why?"

"Because." Was all be could say.

"Because why?" She asked.

Atsushi grumbled, "Just because!"

Tatsuki chuckled, "I'll be right over."

Atsushi sighed and hung his head, "Fine... I'll be here."

The call ended and he stuffed it back into his pocket as he just stood there and glared at the truck. Every second he spent glaring at the old truck only served to grate against his nerves even more, and that irritation was only compounded with the fact that he had trouble figuring it out. He and his uncle had taken the truck out together on more than one occasion where his uncle had tried to teach him, but he was having a huge problem getting the thing moving without it jerking back and forth before stalling out. Before they had gotten much further, his uncle had always gotten too frustrated and taken over, resulting in no chance to put anything to practice. He wanted to drive the truck so they could get to the store, but he didn't have a chance of getting it out of the driveway.

The crunching groan of snow being rolled over drew his attention as a silver car turned down the driveway. It's headlights were blinding, even in the gray light of the afternoon, but he knew well enough, and having somehow managed to squeeze himself into that very car's backseat, that it belonged to the Himuro household.

As the car slowed and stopped, the passenger side door opened and Tatsuki stepped out, leaning over to say something to her mother before closing the door and looking his way. She immediately smiled at him and waved as he stomped down the stairs and despite not wanting to take his hands out of his coat pockets, he did just to wrap her up into a warm hug.

"I'm sorry, Muro-Chin. I really wanted to, but I've never thought about driving since I didn't need to back in Akita." Atsushi mumbled into her scarf wrapped neck.

"It's okay. You'll get it this time." Tatsuki said, unwinding her arms from around him and heading towards the old trunk.

"How can you be so sure?" He asked as he followed.

"Because I'm teaching you. Now hop into the driver's seat." She said with a kind smile as she opened the passenger door and sidestepped into the cab.

Atsushi sighed and opened the driver's door, "I guess... Uncle Hiroshi just gets frustrated and kicks me out." He said as he slid into place and shut the door with a hard metal rattle.

"Well, that's him. You can start it can't you?" Tatsuki asked.

Atsushi nodded as he dug the keys out of his pocket and put the right one into the ignition, planting his foot down onto the far left pedal and pushed it all the way to the floor. This was the easy part, as it didn't require much else other than pushing a pedal down and turning a key and just as it always did, the cranky old truck throttled to life.

"Alright... Now try starting off and we'll go from there." She said, settling back against the bench seat with her hands in her lap.

Atsushi let out a long, drawn out sigh as he steeled his resolve, keeping his left foot down on the clutch as he shifted the gear shift into first just like the worn diagram on the knob indicated. He took another breath as he tried to focus on what his feet where doing, but just like every other time he tried to set off, the truck jerked forward hard and stuttered to a dead stop.

"Ugh!... See? It's too grumpy!" Atsushi grumbled as he frowned down at the steering wheel.

"It's grumpy, but she's only grumpy because you haven't found her g-spot yet."

Atsushi's whole body immediately stiffened, "The what!"

Tatsuki giggled, "The g-spot. Didn't your uncle tell you about it?" He covered her mouth with a glove covered hand to hide her chuckle.

Atsushi gulped, "I know what a g-spot is!" His cheeks immediately began to flush with a blush.

"Not that g-spot. The truck's." Tatsuki continued to chuckle.

"Eh?... What do you mean?" He asked with an arced brow.

"That's what my mom calls the spot just before the engine stalls out when you're letting the clutch out." She said with a gentle smile across her face.

"Oh... Um... Uncle Hiroshi never said that." Atsushi said, slouching down into his own shoulders in an attempt to hide.

"I didn't think so. Alright, so lets find that special spot." She said as she scooted into the middle spot on the bench and right next to him.

Atsushi gulped, "Um... Muro-Chin?... What're you-"

Before he could finish his thought, Tatsuki's soft lips were next to his ear where he could feel every exhale drift over his neck and spread through his hair. He lightly gulped, but stayed perfectly still as she grasped his hand and delicately placed it on top of the gear shift knob.

"Put your foot down." She whispered into his ear, her lips fluttering over his ear lobe.

All he could manage was a nod as he held his breath, suddenly feeling very warm despite the cold inside the dormant truck. All he could do was follow her instructions as his left leg moved and pushed the clutch down and when her hand guided his, he found himself starting it up again with a loud rattle.

"Now... Make sure the truck is in first." She whispered into his ear where the tip of her tongue reached out for his ear lobe.

Atsushi gulped, but did as told as he glanced at the gear shift to see that it was positioned up and to the left, right in the position for first gear.

"M-Muro-Chin... N-now what?" He managed to ask in a low voice as he bit his bottom lip out of nerves.

"Just listen to the sound the truck makes as you let the clutch out slow. She'll talk to you and tell you what she wants." She whispered, softly exhaling a hot breath onto his neck that him shutter.

Atsushi was suddenly having a hard time thinking with the heat of her breath splaying over his neck and feeling her hand resting motionless on his thigh. His heated exhales were drowned out by the throaty rattle of the truck's engine, but it was either focus on her, or her words.

He lolled his head back against the glass window behind him and closed his eyes, listening to the truck idle on without a care as he started to let the clutch out nice and slow like she had said. He focused on that sound, on listening to the truck and with each gentle inch he let the clutch pedal out, he felt her hand sliding towards the inside of his thigh.

The further inwards her hand went, the more his intakes of air stuttered, but when her hand was fully between his legs, gripping the muscle with slightly curled fingers, the truck's engine deepened its note.

"There." She whispered.

Atsushi's eyes opened as he lifted his head, grasping Tatsuki's hand to remove it from his leg, but with the loss of his focus, the truck stalled out. However this time, it didn't jerk them around like it had hit something.

"Huh?... W-What happened?" He asked, swallowing down his nerves as he stayed perfectly still.

"It stalled, but that just means you get to find her g-spot again." Tatsuki cooed, taking his earlobe softly between her teeth to gently suckle on it.

His throat tightened as he tried to hold back his squeak, but some of it spilled out anyways as she flicked the tip of her tongue against his earlobe. A shiver shot down his spine to pool in his abdomen and with each soft suckle, each gentle flick she made to his ear, his focus was shifting from the truck, to her.

"M-Muro-Chin... Stop." Atsushi breathed out as his eyes started to roll into the back of his head.

"Nope... Start the truck." She said through her teasing as she slipped her hand free of his and set it back down on his thigh.

He was almost afraid to move, but at the same time, he was afraid of staying still. The way her tongue was moving and the slight grip her hand was putting on his leg was churning his gut with warm rolls and he could feel low in his abdomen that telltale twitch that made his throat tighten up with a groan.

Atsushi gulped, intent to start the truck again, but when her hand drifted up towards his groin, he flinched and snatched it away before it got too close.

"Okay, Muro-Chin. You need to stop because there is entirely not enough room in this truck for that." Atsushi said, panting a bit from the rising tension in his abdomen as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Hearing the tone in his voice, Tatsuki's lips and tongue stilled, releasing his ear lobe to sit back just a bit and look into his hazy gaze. His eyes were half lidded, blurry as he looked back and his lips were lightly parted with each inhale and exhale of breath that moved his chest. His eyes glistened in the low glow from the porch light, brought on by her ministrations and when she leaned forward to press her lips to his, his grip on her tightened as he pulled her to lay across his lap.

No sooner did her arm wrap around his neck did their tongues shoot out into the others mouth where she felt his tongue bar begin to tease the roof of her mouth. She airily moaned into his mouth as their lips pressed firmer into each other, their tongues sliding forward and back, up and down to taste every inch. She felt his large, splayed out hand drifting around her side to rest on her stomach, just below her breasts and when she felt the tips of his fingers begin to reach out for them, her breath hitched in her throat and she choked on her own saliva.

"Are you okay?" He asked lowly, swallowing down the extra moisture as their lips parted and he looked down at her.

Tatsuki nodded and bit her bottom lip, "Yeah... You're right though; There isn't enough room in here." She smiled.

Atsushi breathed out a smile as he looked towards the passenger side, seeing her long legs jammed up into a ball to avoid pressing into the door. With standing six feet tall, her knees were nearly at the headliner and even though she was laying half across his lap, the standard cab truck was just too small.

"I forgot what we're trying to do." He admitted with a soft blush as he helped her to sit up.

Tatsuki chuckled, "Teaching you to drive this thing."

"How, exactly, was that supposed to teach me how to drive a stick?" He asked, arcing up a brow as he gripped the back of his neck and dried his lips on his muffler.

"Make you focus." She said, shying a bit into her own shoulders as she settled her coat and clicked her seatbelt into place.

"Focus?... The only thing I could focus on was that damn purring you were doing in my ear." He grumbled with a mild glare at her.

"I wasn't purring. That was the truck." She snickered.

"Huh?... Wait... What?" He just sat there and looked at her in confusion.

"You'll see. Start the truck and find the g-spot again." She smiled.

Atsushi just exhaled his uncertainty as he put the clutch to the floor and started the truck again, letting the groaning rumble settle into a calm idle before he started to let the clutch out nice and easy. He listened, this time with both ears, waiting and listening for the sound to change and when it did, dropping deeper into a purr, his foot stopped and held it there.

"There you go... Now, ease on the gas nice and gentle." She said, her smile never fading as he blew out a nervous breath.

Still listening, he began to lower his right leg, drawing up the engine's RPMs slow and surely. He didn't want to rush and risk stalling the truck again, but when his right foot was halfway down, the truck began to crawl forward.

"Good... Keep going like this until the clutch pedal is entirely out. Your left foot should be moving up while your right foot is moving down. The truck tells you what it wants." She said.

He nodded as he kept going, putting more gas on while he let out the clutch and after only another second, his left foot was entirely off the clutch. The truck crawled forward steadily, crunching the snow beneath its tires, but when the engine started to sound as if it was whining, he knew he had to shift gears.

Keeping a hand on the steering wheel, he put the clutch down once more and shifted the gear shift into second, easing the clutch back out as he eased on the gas. The truck slowly accelerated and at Tatsuki's wide smile, he started to feel at ease that now, they could head to the store.

"There you go! The rest comes easy once you know the g-spot." She lightly chuckled as she settled back into the seat to relax.

"Hell of a way to teach, Muro-Chin. I'm flustered thanks to you." He joked, sending her a short lived glare as he put the clutch in and began to slow, drawing close to the end of the driveway.

"I'm sorry, but it worked didn't it?" She asked with a knowing smile.

Atsushi put the truck in neutral as he slowly braked, "Sure, but I'm getting a different problem now. I wasn't expecting you to do that."

Tatsuki's cheeks began to turn pink, "To be honest, neither was I." She said quietly as her smile faded and she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Huh?... How come?" He asked, focusing on the sound of the truck to set off again and turn out onto the plowed road towards town.

"I-It just kinda happened. It felt right, you know?" She stuttered, opting to look down into her lap instead of at him.

"I wasn't complaining, but it's too cramped in here for much more than talking." He said as he shifted into second.

Tatsuki nodded, "Believe me... I understand." Her cheeks burned with her blush.

"Is something else bothering you?" He asked as he shifted up into third with smooth, coordinated movements of his feet.

"Not really." She tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear as she avoided his brief glances.

"Muro-Chin... What's wrong? Did I do something?" He asked.

"Of course not, Atsu," she sighed, "Lately, I've just been feeling like... like I wanna show you I love you." She finally admitted.

Atsushi's eyes started to widen, "Show me?... You show me all the time. I know you love me and you know I love you." He said as he shifted up and kept his eyes on the road and the graying sky.

"I do, but all the sweets and kisses and cuddles and such aren't what I mean." She said, managing to look over at him as he carefully drove.

"Then what-... Oh!... Oh, that's what you mean. Huh... Well, I know someone who wouldn't argue." He lightly cleared his throat, resting his wrist on top of the steering wheel just like he had seen his uncle do.

Tatsuki lightly chuckled, "Can I ask you something?"

"You know you don't need to ask me that, Muro-Chin" He said flatly.

"Have you ever... um... have you ever-"

"Gotten laid?" Atsushi interrupted her to spare her the effort.

"Yeah." She nodded with a sigh of relief.

"Depends on your definition, I guess." He said with a brief glance at her.

Tatsuki's brows furrowed, "What do you mean?"

"I've had a blow job, or two, but that's the most I've ever had." He said with a final shift up into fifth gear to cruise down the road.

"I guess that counts." She said quietly as she reached forward to turn on the truck's heater.

"What about you?" He asked suddenly.

Tatsuki's blush deepened, "I've um... I've never... I'm a virgin." She buried her face into her scarf.

"Why hide?" He asked, briefly shooting glances at her as he reached over and pulled her scarf down with his pointer finger.

"Because I don't want you to think differently of me." She said without lifting her mouth out from behind her scarf.

"Why would I look at you any differently for not being a floozy and just throwing yourself at some guy?" He asked with a scoff.

"I don't know... I just-" She said as she avoided his gaze.

"Muro-Chin." He said.

"B-Because I'd be really sad if we broke up over something like that." She finally blurted out.

"Have I done something that would make you think that?" He asked with the tension of driving ebbing off now that he had a few miles under his belt.

"Not at all. Just my own worry, I guess." She said.

Seeing the somewhat distant look on her face, Atsushi just drew in a long intake of air as he spared a moment to watch her. She wouldn't look at him, opting to just look ahead out the windshield, or the side window, but it seemed to him that she was making quite the effort not to meet his gaze. Despite their subject, he didn't feel uneasy, or put off, but rather, wanted to make her feel better and as the truck happily trundled along with him at the helm, he reached over and undid her seatbelt with a click.

"Huh?... Atsu-" Tatsuki began, only to quiet herself when he tugged her across the bench.

The tall gear shift in the middle of the cab didn't seem to matter as he pulled her over, sliding her across the bench seat until she was nestled up right next to him all snug and warm.

"There... That's better." He said, smiling at her as he draped his arm over her shoulder and kept a hand on the steering wheel.

Tatsuki blushed even more, "Atsu... Are you gonna be okay shifting with me here?" She snuggled into his side.

"I'll be fine. This is better anyways. It's warmer." He said, never even easing his smile as the first distant stoplight began to break through the gray.

Tatsuki snuggled in close and rested her head on his shoulder, both settling into a quiet calm despite the continuous drone of the engine. It was comforting being so close to him, how he smiled at her and kept his arm around her shoulders as he drove. His ability to learn hadn't ceased to amaze her the more time they spent together, and after only a few short minutes, he had picked up driving a stick shift without a problem. She watched the scenery go by, the sky darken and just by the dull gray color of the clouds, she knew snow was coming. The air smelt electric and frosty and as the town in distance broke through that gray, she slightly frowned that she would soon have to move from the warm confines of his body.

Taking his arm back, Atsushi rested his palm down on the gear shift and began to slow for the light, not even phased by the oncoming traffic, or their headlights that blared through the darkening gray. He shifted into first to get ready to set off, but only then did he notice that when it came time to shift into second, there was no way to avoid touching her leg.

With a soft gulp, he started off and shifted into second where his palm touched down onto her thigh. He felt her stiffen a bit, but she made no effort to move as he flowed with the speed of traffic and let his hand move up to the top of her thigh where he slowly ran it up closer to her hip. He glanced at her, seeing her cheeks darken with a hard blush that was creeping up to reach her ears, but her bottom lip was softly trapped between her teeth. He could see her taking in shortened breaths and as his hand started to move further up her leg, his fingers lightly clawed to dig into the muscle where his own body started to shiver with that delightful warmth.

"Oh!... You're gonna miss the turn, Atsu!" Tatsuki yelped as the store quickly approached.

However, instead of slamming on the breaks to try and make it, Atsushi kept going straight as he took his hand off her thigh and put it back onto the gear shift.

"That's okay. We'll turn around and turn in then. The roads aren't good." He said, slowing for the next light.

"Good idea. Sorry about that." Tatsuki said softly as she rubbed her cheeks.

"It's okay. We were distracted." He said as he buried his nose into his scarf.

Tatsuki just nodded as Atsushi turned around and headed back towards the store, this time slowing with plenty of time to pull into the parking lot without whipping the truck from side to side. With the headlights being on, the first delicate flecks of snow were highlighted in their yellow beams as they fell and with a slow idle, he picked an aisle to drive down in an attempt to find a parking spot.

"We better get what we need and head back. Looks like the snow's not gonna hold off." Tatsuki said as Atsushi picked a wide open parking spot and parked.

"You have the list?" He asked, switching off the headlights and turning off the truck just like he had seen his uncle do.

"I do. Come on." Tatsuki said.

Atsushi climbed out of the truck, but instead of shutting his door, he turned and offered his hand to help Tatsuki slide out. She happily took his hand and smiled at him as her booted feet touched down and after shutting the door behind her, they headed for the store hand in hand.

"So, what's first?" Atsushi asked, releasing her hand to pick a cart that he hoped had all its wheels working.

Tatsuki dug around in her pockets and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper that she flipped open and skimmed over.

"Um... Well, lets start with the obvious. We're gonna need sugar." She said, still reading the paper.

"Bakers, or table top?" He asked, deciding on the best one he saw and pulling it out from the others.

"Ooo-... Good question... Um... Let's use regular table top. We're gonna have to melt it anyways." She said as they headed deeper into the store and headed for the baking aisle.

"Okay... Did you get the peppermint leaves from that one herb store?" He asked, letting her lead the cart by the front.

"I did. I just got a couple bushels for right now until we figure out how this test batch comes out." She said, turning down the aisle they needed that was laden with flour, sugar, spices, mixes and everything in between.

"That's fine... Oh hey; Don't we need coloring and vinegar?" He asked, stopping as he spotted the small box of little colored bottles.

"We do. Grab a box and I'll get a bottle of vinegar." She said as she trotted ahead.

Atsushi took a moment to watch her, how she smiled and had been since he had pulled her over to sit next to him in the truck. There was a bounce in her step, each bound swaying her long black hair from side to side and when she looked back at him to widen her smile, that warm shiver shot down his spine again. Her eyes sparkled at him, her smile made the world nonexistence and remembering the words they had spoken in the truck, he found himself stepping closer to the door.

Despite it only having been a few months, he felt his heart truly falling deeper and deeper into her grasp, clutched in her delicate hands for her to keep. She understood him, didn't judge him and loved him despite all he's told her and the way she blushed at him, the way she felt self conscious about not having laid with anyone he found rather endearing and cute. She truly didn't want him to think of her any differently and the more he thought about it, the more he couldn't. If anything, it made him want to make her happy all that much more.

Atsushi quickly shook his head to clear the front of his mind so he could focus on the task at hand, picking up a box of coloring and putting it into the cart as she returned with a bottle of vinegar. She smiled at him with the slightest coloring of a blush along her cheekbones and as he smiled at her, she started for the collection of sugar. There was brown sugar of different shades, baker's sugar, even natural cane sugar and sugar cubes. There was more exotic sugars and sugar substitutes, but all they needed was regular sugar, which was located on the bottom shelf of all things.

Grabbing two cartons, Tatsuki set them into their small cart before scratching the sugar off the list, and with one more stop at the spices further down the aisle, they found the peppermint flavoring to complete their list.

With their items for the test batch gathered, they headed for the check out and paid the required amount before heading for the door, but when they reached the exit, they froze and could only stare.

From just the short amount of time they had spent in the store, the snow had begun to fall in a steady flutter. The flakes were big and fluffy, but the air had chilled down to a bitter cold. Both knew what was coming and they needed to get back to the truck before the weather got too bad.

"We better go. This might be a bad one, Atsu." Tatsuki said with worry along her brows as she hunkered down into her coat and stepped out into the snow.

"Can you drive the truck? I don't think taking on a snow storm my first day is a good idea." Atsushi said as he followed her.

"That's fine. We're headed back to your uncle's house right?" She asked, carrying one of the shopping bags with the smaller items in it.

"Yes... Oh, I think I forgot something in the store. Can I meet you back at the truck?" He asked, stopping and holding out the bag with the sugar cartons in it.

"Huh?... Oh um, sure. Is everything okay?" She asked as she took the bag.

"Of course. I'll just be a minute." He said before turning and heading back into the store.

Tatsuki only watched him for a moment until he was out of sight, having disappeared back through the automated doors of the store before she shivered and started for the truck. The snow was already beginning to accumulate on the ground, leaving the subtle outline of her boots every time she lifted her foot to take another step. It softly crunched and groaned as she walked for the truck and having gotten the keys from Atsushi before he headed back inside, she unlocked the door and put their couple of bags on the floor before stepping into the driver's seat.

Having driven a stick plenty of times, she easily started to grumpy old truck and let it idle, thanking the hidden stars above that they hadn't spent too much time in the store to allow the engine to cool off too much. She cranked on the heat full blast to warm the inside of the cab, flicking on the wipers to clear away the thin dusting of snow and turning the defroster on so the newly falling flakes would immediately melt. She buckled herself in and waited, just watching out the windows as families and people came and went, scurrying inside as fast as possible so the snow didn't have time to creep down their coats. The air light flakes softly blew around as a wind began to build and getting nervous, her leg began to bounce with impatience.

Just as she started to get worried that the weather was closing in on them, Atsushi reappeared out through the doors and jogged for the truck. His hands were stuffed into his pockets and nose buried in his scarf and with his giant strides, he reached the truck in no time and slid into the passenger seat.

"Sorry, Muro-Chin. Lets get going." He said, heavily shutting the door and swiping his hand over his hair to rid it of snowflakes.

"Yeah... The weather's getting bad." She said, putting the truck into reverse and backing out of the spot.

"Think it'll be a blizzard?" He asked.

"Maybe. It wouldn't be the first time we've gotten socked in here." She said, swiftly shifting the truck into first and starting for the exit of the parking lot.

"It happens in Akita a lot too." He said, softly sniffling through his nose that had begun to run with the cold.

"I remember you telling me. What did you forget in the store?" She asked with a brief glance over at him.

"Just something I needed to pick up. Nothing to worry about." He smiled.

Tatsuki smiled back, "Alright."

As Tatsuki turned the truck out into traffic to head home, the snow began to lightly blow, glowing like tiny lightning bugs in front of the headlights as they were carried by the growing wind. Traffic had slowed to accommodate the deteriorating conditions and as Atsushi turned on the radio, a simple, yet very much aftermarket radio, the static cleared to give way to the weather report.

"The snow is already starting to come down folks, so getting home and hunkering down is a real good idea. The radar has this cell as a real powerful one, so we're expecting anywhere between 12 inches, to a whopping 3 feet of snow overnight. City plows and road maintenance crews are already heading out to get an early start on road conditions and power crews are standing by just in case power lines come down with the deep freeze. The weather survey has officially issued a winter storm advisory, so head home, hunker down and enjoy a nice evening in everyone. Be safe out there."

Atsushi clicked off the radio as Tatsuki passed through the intersection on their way out of town, whose green glow of light was fogged out by the blowing snow. The windshield wipers streaked back and forth, swiping away the snow that didn't instantly melt upon touching down onto the heated glass. Even with the heat on, they could still feel the chill of the air radiating through the glass and seeping through the tiny imperfections in the way the door lined up with the body. Tatsuki drove with both hands on the steering wheel, cautious and careful, always moving her head around so that she knew exactly what was around them at all times. The snow fell thicker, harder, the wind picked up its speed and when they finally reached his uncle's driveway, the road was completely gone, hidden beneath a building blanket of snow.

"Just in time, I'd say. This storm is gonna be a good one." Tatsuki said as she pulled the truck to a stop in front of the house.

"No kidding. Is your mom gonna come and pick you up?" Atsushi asked, picking up the bags and daring to open the door.

"I don't know. I'll call her when we get inside." She said, shutting her door hard and rushing for the porch right alongside him.

Atsushi just nodded as he fished out the keys and unlocked the door, stepping inside where he held it open for her and shut it with a click of the deadbolt. He flicked on the light to push back the dark shadows of the hallway before toeing off his boots, letting Tatsuki take the bags to the kitchen ahead of him as he pulled off his scarf and coat. He shook out his hair from clinging snow and as he ran his fingers through it to straighten it out, he slipped on his house shoes and started for the kitchen where Tatsuki was already on the phone.

"Yeah... We just got back... Oh, I know. The roads are already bad... We're safe here... Yeah, we still have power... Okay, we will... Love you too, Mom... Bye."

She hung up the phone and set it down on the kitchen table before swooshing her bangs over her left eye and straightening out her snow touched raven locks. Her cheeks were still pink, but he knew that it was because of the wind and cold, and not because she was blushing.

"What she say?" He asked, heading over to the counter to pull out the things they had bought.

"She said to stay safe and that she'll pick me up in the morning." She said, draping her coat over the back of a chair.

Atsushi's back stiffened, "Y-You're staying the night?" He looked back over his shoulder at her.

Tatsuki nodded, "Looks like it. Is that okay?" She asked as she looked over to him.

"What am I gonna say? No? It's a full blown blizzard out there, Muro-Chin; I'm not gonna make you walk home." He said with a crooked grin, pulling the twin cartons of sugar from the bag.

"Good... Because that walk would suck." She airily laughed.

His smile matured into a full arc, and after pulling out the bottle of vinegar, he turned his attention to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. His smile continued as he gazed down at her, falling into her kind gray eye and with a drift of his finger, he pushed aside her swept bangs to reveal her left. He felt privileged, like he was special because he got to see both her eyes and now that he was gazing down at both, he could see that her smile reached them.

"So, let me get this straight. We're gonna spend the evening making sweets, then I get to spend tons of time with Muro-Chin because of the blizzard?" He asked with a hop in his eyebrows.

"And gets to spend the night because of that very same blizzard." She smiled, snaking her arms around his trunk to hold him close.

"I love blizzards." He grinned.

He bowed his head as Tatsuki stretched her neck, meeting in the middle to press their lips together. That warm shiver shot down his spine again as his hold on her tightened, bringing her ever closer to his body to relish in her warmth. His throat hummed, vibrating his lips against hers and when their lips parted with a soft crackle, she rubbed his back and kissed the tip of his nose.

"Lets start on trying out those candy canes." She said as she unwound her arms.

"Muro-Chin and sweets. Best. Night. Ever."