The Cold Silent Night

It was a cold winters night, that night.

It had been snowing for days, the fluffy white stuff covering every surface that wasn't plowed, ice patches hiding on the pavement, endangering the people who dared to leave their homes in the freezing weather.

The sun had set long ago, and the white flakes had once again begun to softly fall as we walked, shoulder to shoulder, across the large parking lot.

The lighting was spotty, the glow of the street lamps spaced around the paved lot fading in and out as we strolled beneath them together, scarves pulled up over our noses.

The snow that lined the edges of the lot weakly sparkled in the looming darkness, shadowing the outskirts of the faint lighting. The midnight pavement shone with a dampness only the cold water flakes could provide, like it was trying its best to imitate the beauty of the night sky, but with its dirty yellow lines it failed to come close in comparing.

The moisture in our breath turned to steam as it was forced past our scarves, gloved hands jammed into pockets for the extra warmth, a winter toque stretched over my head, a hood pulled loosely over his.

How peaceful it was, in the freezing quiet of the cold outdoors, in the giant empty lot that sat in front of the currently dark Home Depot I'd been working at for almost a year now.

Not a soul had stayed behind other then the one who walked beside me, the sound of winter jackets and the tapping of boots on glazed pavement barely digging into the silent night as we walked, his keys jingling muffled in his pocket.

I had been watching the ground, letting my peripheral vision guide me next to him, helping me towards his old, light grey, ford that looked more like it belonged to a farmer's kid then a city boy, when he shook his scarf free from his nose and spoke.

"Akuma it's cold." He cursed and I gave a half glance his way in agreement, "if the temperature dip's any lower my ball's are going to freeze off."

I rolled my eyes, smiling gently at the unlikelihood from beneath my woolen scarf.

"Sorry," I mumbled into the fabric, "your the only one I could think of that had a car."

"Che... I can't believe that bastard forgot you again."

This wasn't the first time we'd done this, it was often that my Uncle Marian forgot to pick me up after work, and usually when I'd get home I'd find him pass out on couch, a beer in hand. I doubted tonight was any different.

I sighed and simply said, "it's alright," just like always, Kanda using the clicker on his keys to unlock the truck.

I clasped the passenger door handle, pausing a moment for his regular 'Che' like every time.

But this time was different.

"No, Moyashi, it's not okay." He replied tiredly, pulling open the driver door and hopping into his vehicle.

I blinked in slight surprise, taking a second to absorb his curt words before sliding in myself, the engine roaring to life when he turned the key in the ignition.

Once again, silence... but it too, was different. It was a thoughtful silence, one that held the slightest tension as we waited for the engine to warm up and the heat to kick in, one that let me ponder these small differences.

Kanda seemed to be thinking tonight, considering things, like he was trying to tell me something he hadn't told anyone before, a secret of sorts? Maybe a confession of something?

A confession of what?

I felt my heart flutter inside my chest, the organ dancing in my cavity with the simple thought.

Damn my fallen heart.

I risked a glance in his direction, and barely past his hood could I see his dark cobalt eyes staring out the window, not really looking, like he was thinking, unseeing.

I observed him carefully, even continuing my watching when he reached to pull back his hood, dark punk blue colored locks flowing to hide beneath his coat.

He hesitated, then looked at me.

I swear I was drowning in his eyes.

"Moyashi?"

"Yeah?" I breathed quietly after pulling down my scarf, glancing across his sharpe features, his natural scowl exchanged for a serious pout.

"I was wondering... would you...? I..."

He trailed off, growling in frustration, running a hand through his hair.

Ba-dump, ba-dump. There goes my heart again.

Akuma he was handsome, and it was all the time too; when he was tired, when he was cold, while he was mad, smiling, frowning, and it drove me crazy. Didn't he need a break? Is it not hard work to look that gorgeous all the time?

"... Allen," he said my name so seriously that it sent a shiver down my spine, "will you go out with me? On a date?"

I felt my heart freeze mid-beat, yet somehow the blood still rushed to my cheeks.

"A-A date?" I stuttered shyly, my silver eyes wide in disbelief.

He studied me for a moment, searching the windows to my soul, and then his eyes flashed with something close to fear or disappointment; he looked away, seeming almost discouraged.

"Y-Yeah, unless you don't want to then that's oka-"

"No, no, Kanda," I dared to place a hand on his strong arm, feeling his muscle's tense through the coat, beneath my touch, "I would like that. Yes, I'll go on a date with you."

He turned back to me, so cute looking so hopeful, a smirk slowly crawling into his lips.

"You will?"

"Yes, I will... do you have some place in mind?"

Kanda pulled on his seatbelt, prompting me to do the same, and I inwardly sighed in relief from the weather, the heater beginning to pump warm air into the freezing truck.

"Yes, I do... mind if we go right now?"

"Right now? Sure." I agreed, probably sounding more excited then I should have, but I couldn't help it.

I had a date with Kanda.

Now Kanda had a full on grin plastered to his face, the air churning until it seemed upbeat, and for the second we just stared. Until suddenly Kanda's lips were pressed to my cheek in a brief chaste peck.

"Let's go then." He concluded as he threw the car into drive.

I smiled too, raising a hand to touch the tingling skin of my cheek, a warmth spreading over my face, the beating of my heart picking up faster then I thought possible.

And then I felt a large tough hand take mine, my slim digits sliding easily between his fingers, hands intertwining like perfectly fitting puzzle pieces.

He held my hand the entire night.

It was a cold winters night, that night.

But he was there to keep me warm.

He'd always be there, to hold me 'til I was warm.