Surprise! A Kai x Aichi Story

2. Happy Thanksgiving, Kai x Aichi

Aichi hurried through the cold to get to the only grocery store near to campus before it closed. It was the day before Thanksgiving, and he was shopping for his very first American Thanksgiving dinner. He thought back to the conversation he had with Kai before he had left two weekends ago. The glorious, scary, surprising weekend where they finally admitted they had feelings for each other (Aichi somewhat inadvertently).

"When do you have free time again, Kai-kun?" Aichi had looked away blushing.

Kai hooked his pinky together with Aichi's and pulled him a step closer. "Ah, Aichi, I'm very encouraged you're already thinking of next time," Kai said with a soft smile. "Well, our tour is taking a break for the Thanksgiving holiday in less than two weeks. I don't know anything about the holiday, except that there's a lot of eating? We're just hanging around the hotel until leaving on Monday..."

"Can you make it back here?" Aichi asked with his head down, "I'll be one of the few people left on campus, m... maybe we could try to make an American Thanksgiving in the dorm kitchen?"

"I would love to cook for you," Kai put a finger under Aichi's chin, and lifted it to look into Aichi's red face. "Just Google some simple recipes and pick up the ingredients, and I'll catch a late bus from New York Wednesday night...."

Aichi did the best he could, picking up the things on his list, as well as a pumpkin pie and a can of whipped cream. He wasn't familiar with a lot of the food and hoped it would be okay. He passed under the North Street bridge and noticed a thin dog shaking in the cold. "Aw, poor guy," Aichi said. He put down his bags, and undid the plastic on the heat-and-eat rolls, pulling two off and throwing them toward the mutt before tying it back up and heading back to the dorm.

As he fumbled with his keys at the door a few minutes later, he noticed the dog had followed him, and laid down under a nearby tree, staring in his direction. He shook his head and carried his bags upstairs to the shared dorm kitchen.

A few hours later, a newly arrived, tired looking Kai was sorting through the ingredients and reading the few recipes Aichi had printed out. "Ooooh I like the looks of this 'stuffing' one, it's got a bunch of onions in it," and "Good Lord, Aichi, why did you get such a big turkey? There's only two of us!"

"Can't help it, Kai-kun, it was the smallest fresh one they had left. I guess 12 pounds is small for a turkey. You've been here long enough to know everything's big in America." He said with a coy smile.

Kai shot him an amused look with a raised brow. "Sendou Aichi. Did you just tell a crude joke?"

"What? Of course not, Kai-kun, who do you take me for?" Aichi laughed. "Honestly... I'm just glad that you're here."

"Me too," Kai said. "But you'd better let me shower and call it a night if you want this whole feast cooked tomorrow."

The next afternoon, they sat down at a battered table for two in a corner of the kitchen. They turned the overhead light off. Aichi had found a half-burned apple cinnamon jar candle for ambiance, as well as a small potted mum from the entry hall he borrowed for the occasion.

Kai had brought a bottle of wine, but Aichi didn't really want to drink after how he acted last time he drank, so they put it aside in favor of the cranberry ginger ale. They toasted with it in festive orange plastic cups.

"Thank you for this wonderful food, Kai," Aichi said, bowing his head deeply, then looking up and grinning, "To an American Thanksgiving!"

Kai held his cup up, holding Aichi's eyes in a deep gaze. He said, "To an American Thanksgiving. May this be the first of many meals together," then drank.

Aichi, predictably blushing madly, grinned wider and drank as well.

They both ate until they were stuffed. Both enjoyed the turkey. Aichi praised the stuffing, which he had never eaten before. Kai lamented the lack of various spices, and said, "Next time I can do better." Both of them poked at the jellied cranberry sauce dubiously, and wondered aloud at it.
Kai questioned why two of the rolls were missing, and Aichi explained about the dog. "Ugh, you're too soft for your own good, you know," Kai grumbled. "I think he was still out there when I came in."

The pumpkin pie was a split decision. Kai thought it was good after putting a tiny line of whipped cream down the center of his piece. Aichi thought it was just edible after cutting a sliver that he buried in an avalanche of cream. "Now you've gotten it all over yourself," Kai smirked. He swept a finger over the corner of Aichi's mouth and popped a dollop of cream into his mouth as Aichi squirmed. "C'mon let's clean up, I'm ready to settle into a food coma."

Half an hour later, both could be found settled against Aichi's small headboard, relaxed and watching the Westminster Dog Show. Aichi yawned, and Kai opened his arms. "Come here sleepyhead," He said, pulling Aichi's head down to rest on his shoulder. Aichi tensed up immediately. "Just relax, we've got the whole weekend."

Aichi settled in with a sigh, and mumbled, "I wonder what kind of dog that stray is?"

"Just a mangy mutt, probably," Kai gave a lopsided shrug, "Just a stray that will find its way just fine," as Aichi slid into sleep.

Aichi woke sometime later, and noticed the sun was going down. He patted the other side of the bed. It was still warm with body heat, but there was no Kai there. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and went in search. No Kai in the bedroom, no Kai in the bathroom, no Kai in the kitchen, but the turkey carcass was out on the table and uncovered. Aichi padded back into his room and looked out the window. The stray was still under the tree, now with his Card Capital promotional beach towel draped over it, eating a paper plate full of turkey.

Aichi turned as his door opened. Kai caught him looking out the window and frowned. He lifted a hand, said "I don't want to hear it!" and closed his eyes. Aichi walked to him and shyly took his hand, bringing it down and kissing the back.

"Kai-kun are you helping another stray 'find its way?'" he said, with huge shining eyes. Kai growled and leaned down to take Aichi's lips in a gentle kiss.

"You were never a stray to me."