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Gentle white snow lazily drifts down from dark clouds, slowly but surely painting the world below in light tones. The temperature outside is chilling enough to deter anyone not used to such cold away and back into their homes, emptying the roads and streets. A rare sight in Uchiura as on any given day the locals would be mingling, conversing, and going out like usual.
Snow has a strange effect. It makes even the busiest places hold still and frozen in place for as long as the feather light puffs of snow descend. A surreal experience to the Numazu area and the surrounding cities, including Uchiura. What’s even more surreal is the little inn near the sea being the same way. On any given day the inn would be full of lively conversation, yelling from the family who runs it, dogs barkings and yapping away, or terrified screams from someone regarding said dogs.
But tonight, the inn is empty. Free of both guests and talk. Maybe it’s the snow using it’s strange powers on the usually bustling place. Or perhaps it has to do something with most of the family being missing.
Inside the cozy building remains only one family member. One singular Chika Takami to watch the place. The inn had closed a few days ago for the holidays, so nothing for her to worry about there. Her sisters and mother had left even before that to go on a trip with some family friends. “Family friends” being a somewhat odd way to describe them, in Chika’s mind. It’s weird enough that your family would go hand out with the Kurosawa family for a little bit, leaving you alone. She can bet the other parents of Aqours are coming to that party too, but for some reason she was only told about the Kurosawas.
It’s even stranger that they asked her to keep watch over Ruby, as they only wanted to take the eldest daughter with them. But Chika understands why they’d trust Ruby in her care. Could be the whole “I’m dating your youngest daughter” thing, but maybe they just really trust Chika. She hopes they trust her anyways.
So here Chika is, staying and watching over someone she sees near daily. Why they’d even be concerned is beyond the boundaries of her thinking. Did they think Ruby was going to trash the place or something? Did being snuggled under a blanket with bright mikans on the fleece count as a reason to be worried? Chika sure hopes not.
Chika’s room remains forcefully in the grasp of the snow’s power, nothing being done or said aside from Ruby’s occasional squirming under the blanket. Chika had left a few minutes ago to talk to Riko nextdoor, leaving Ruby all alone under the orange blanket despite being around ten feet away from Chika. It feels more like ten miles to Ruby. The cold air forcing its way into Chika’s warm room only makes that distance more lonesome and bitter.
“Enjoy your night, Riko!” A wave and a bob of the head from Chika to the neighbor, the stray strand of hair on her head bouncing with the motion. She takes a few steps back and shuts the sliding door to the balcony and looks to Ruby. “Sorry, Ruby! I didn’t expect to take that long… you still warm under there? I hope the cold didn’t get to you…” She bounds up to her bed where Ruby is sitting and runs a hand through one of her red pigtails.
Despite the cold coursing through every part of her body, Ruby manages a smile. “It’s fine, Chika. Your blanket is really warm, so I’m not that cold…”
Chika removes the hand on red hair and clasps it with her free one excitedly. “Would you like some hot chocolate to warm up a bit? We can both have some as we watch the snow together!” Ruby opens her mouth to say something, but it’s soon replaced as Chika leaves the room and makes a mad dash for the kitchen, almost slipping on the floor a few times from her stockings having less than amazing traction. Once Chika is fully out of her sight, Ruby readjusts the orange blanket to be around her neck and ties it like a cape of some sort. She gets off the bed littered with marine life plushies and makes her own way to the kitchen.
Usually when Ruby decides to come to the inn, she’d be warned about “Don’t make too much noise” or something to the like. With having no guests at this time of year, it’s a little strange to her. If she and Chika truly wanted to, they could be as annoying and loud as possible and not get judged or have a pillow thrown at them.
Maybe Riko would mind though. She silently prays Chika asked Riko for “me and my girlfriend are gonna be really annoying and loud so I hope that’s okay with you and your family, happy holidays from me to you” permissions in the case that does happen.
Ruby places one sock clad foot on the steps, but before she makes the walk down she turns to face a window behind her. The once visible snow is now no longer within sight as the window is condensed over, making seeing the outside practically impossible. She turns around to walk to the window and draw a few silly things on the window before returning to the stairs and making her way down to the main area of the inn.
She isn’t surprised by the scenery around her; it’s all things she’s seen time and time again. Ruby adjusts her blanket cape as she takes in the more wintery and festive decor in the home before making her way to the kitchen. Hearing Chika’s voice blasting out some silly carol is proof enough she’s in there. She gets up to the doorway, but doesn’t enter.
Something about hearing Chika makes her heart flutter up and makes her hands a little more shaky. Anyone would assume after dating for a bit, she’d get over these feelings. Yet every time Chika did even the most mundane things, she feels as if it’s the first time seeing her. Reliving those feelings never get old to Ruby. Pure bliss and hopeless love no matter how many months it’s been.
Ruby leaves her world of thoughts to reenter the real world, one where Chika is still… she can’t decide if Chika is screaming or just singing really loud. A deep breath for no reason before poking her head into the room. Chika does a twirl and almost slips as she notices Ruby. “Hi! Didn’t you want to stay up in my room?”
The two each take a few steps towards each other until their shoulders touch. “Why would I want to be somewhere you aren’t..?” Only after the line is said does Ruby realize how bad that sounded and that it reads like a cheesy romance movie. With nothing more to lose, she rests her head on Chika’s shoulder. Red hair gently brushes Chika’s neck, causing a few giggles that absolutely melt her heart.
“Aww, that’s so cute!” Not the effect Ruby was going for, but whatever. Chika runs to the counter in a spontaneous movement, Ruby’s head now being Chika-less. The room’s sound switches to bad pickup lines to the clinking of a spoon against ceramic, indicating someone stirring something within a cup. “The cocoa is almost done, Ruby! I made sure to add lots and lots of sweet things just for you!” Chika clinks the spoon against the rim of the cup a few times before putting the spoon back on the counter. She starts pouring milk into another cup and resumes her… sing-screaming. Yeah. That’s a good word.
While Chika is lost in her little world, Ruby walks up to the counter to look at the cups with cocoa in them. Sure enough like her girlfriend said, the cups are filled to the brim with cream, sprinkles, and chocolate shavings. A whole entire candy cane resides in one of the cups, minding its own business. Ruby can bet the cup contains more cavity inducing material than cocoa at this point. The whole cup probably tastes more like peppermint than chocolate too. Not that Ruby minded too much, but isn’t the point of hot cocoa supposed to be the chocolate?
Ruby is broken from her thoughts to the sound of something clinking against the cup. She turns her head from the cup in front of her to the one next to it, where another candy cane has now claimed as home. At this point Chika is just making peppermint flavored diabetes. Doesn’t help that now Chika is adding peppermint shavings to the pile of whipped cream on both cups.
Ruby sighs. They’re going to die of sugar overdose. She makes a mental note to tell her parents to never trust Chika during the holidays again, considering she even survives drinking the “cocoa.”
Chika firmly grabs one of the cups that vaguely resembles a mikan and bobs her head at Ruby. “C’mon! Get your cup and let’s go back to my room!” Like before, Ruby doesn’t even get a chance to say anything before her vision only picks up an orange blur. She can hear Chika making a remark about “something something maybe Riko wants some” before completely disappearing from her range of sight.
She looks to her cup of cocoa and smiles. Chika sure is something. Not wanting any of her hard work to be wasted, she takes her cup in her hands. The first thing she realizes is that the hot chocolate lives up to its namesake; hot. Almost too hot for her cold hands to hold on to. Wasting no time in order to avoid dropping the hot cup, she starts making her way out of the kitchen and up the same stairs she’d go up all the time during her visits.
Ruby can practically feel the air getting colder with every careful yet hasty step she takes. The greatest challenge an idol has to face? Making it up a flight of stairs with an almost burning cup of cocoa in your hands while trying not to slip or trip over your pajama pants or your mikan blanket cape. Dia never told her about that part of being an idol, if it even had anything to do with idols in the first place.
Once her pink socks make contact with the now flat wooden floor, her steps pick up in pace as she nearly sprints to Chika’s room. The candy cane clinks around the edges of the cup with every step she takes. It’s almost musical to her. Maybe it’s because Chika made the cocoa?
A turn to her right and her feet now make contact with softer ground. She sets the cup down on the carpet at the first chance she gets to avoid holding the cup any longer and risking burns. Can you get burns from holding hot chocolate too long-
“Ruby!” Her head tilts up to see Chika sitting on the bed, back against the wall. A plushie of a sea creature resides in her lap and resting on top of the plushie is her cup of hot chocolate. Poor thing. “Why don’t you get up here with me? I don’t want you spilling that on my carpet, my sister is gonna get so mad if that happens…”
Ruby shakes her hands out a little bit in hopes of cooling them a little bit, after getting nowhere with that she shrugs and picks up the cup again. Careful steps to Chika’s bed, and careful movements getting on it. Ruby slowly moves herself back to match Chika’s position of having her back against the wall. Once that’s all said and done, she cautiously sets the cup on the blankets below her, making sure the cup doesn’t fall over. She takes a plushie for herself to rest her cup on. She can’t help but feel bad for the plushie.
Chika leans her head to the side, resting it against Ruby’s. “Have you tried it yet? I can bet you right now you won’t have cocoa like this anywhere else in Uchiura! Takami Chika holiday special right here!” If Chika wasn’t holding a more full than not cup of hot and sugary death in a cup Ruby could bet she’d be doing a dumb pose or something.
“Not yet…” Ruby turns her head to Chika and smiles. “I bet it tastes good anyways. You made it after all.” A mental punch to the face as hears the cheesy line leave her mouth. Maybe it was a bad idea to ask Hanamaru for “cool things to say to your girlfriend” advice.
Sheepish laughter from Chika after a few beats of silence. “You really think so..? You haven’t even had any yet! C’mon, c’mon! Take a sip!”
Not willing to start anything with Chika, she takes the now cooler cup in her hands. She slowly brings the cup to meet her lips, the candy cane hitting her face not even a second later. The hot liquid does nothing to deter her from taking one sip of Chika’s hot chocolate, as much as she wanted to take her mouth off the rim of the cup to throw it outside to cool.
The first thing Ruby tastes is peppermint. Not chocolate like most times she has cocoa. Peppermint.
Very overpowering peppermint.
The minty flavor pretty much covers up any sort of chocolate for the first few seconds. And when the chocolate does come, it’s pretty weak. It’s almost disgusting how much peppermint is in this cup that’s only a little bigger than her hands. How Chika even managed so much peppermint in a cup she can’t even fathom.
Ruby takes the cup off her lips and licks them to get any last bit of hot chocolate off of them. Sure enough, what lingers is peppermint flavored. Despite how overwhelming the flavor is, she really enjoys it. Only Chika could make a cup of cocoa so grossly sweet and minty.
“How’d you like it?” The question from Chika is sudden. She puts her own cup to her lips as she awaits answer.
Ruby rests her mug on the plushie and tries to stifle giggles to no avail. “You really went all out on the peppermint… it’s really good.” She shakes her hands out again. “It’s still really hot though. Do you think we can go outside for a second and let it cool?”
The stray hair on Chika’s head seems to bob up before Chika herself. “Of course! I think it’s still snowing too! Won’t that be a sight to behold?” A small nod from Ruby gives Chika her answer as her face seems to light up more than usual.
Both girls adjust their cups to be in one hand as opposed to two. They use their free hands to hold each other’s as they move towards the edge of Chika’s bed. Standing up together, they make the short trip to the doors that lead to Chika’s balcony. They let go of their hands for a split second as Chika slides the door open and after it’s all said and done, the hand holding resumes.
Cold air meets any inch of exposed skin in an instant. It’s a cold that’s bitingly cold, yet comfortable. Sure enough like Chika said, snow still slowly drifts down from the dark grey clouds to make the journey down to the earth below. It falls so slowly, Ruby is convinced that time is at a standstill due to how painfully slow the snow drifts down. She feels like she’s in a painting or a book, the image forever staying still for as long as said image exists.
Chika looks out to the skyline and sighs. “It’s amazing… I’ve never seen it fall like this.” She nuzzles up to Ruby, warmth coursing through Ruby at the action. “I’m really happy I can see it with you.”
Ruby takes another sip of her now cooler cup of liquid peppermint. After a few seconds she takes the mug off her lips to soak in the view. Just as her girlfriend had said, it truly is a sight to behold. A part of her wants to believe it’s just a dream, a dream she’ll never be lucky enough to experience in the real world. The cold biting at her exposed skin and the fact that Chika is here tell her it’s real. It’s real and warm. It’s a reality she’s fortunate enough to live in.
She takes a few steps to the edge of the balcony to set her cup on the ledge of the wall separating the balcony from the ground. Both of her hands now free, she takes a moment or two to remove her hair from the two ribbons adorning her head. Her pigtails fall down to meet the rest of her hair, which is being blown around slightly by the gentlest of winds. Quiet at first footsteps that grow louder with each step break the silence of the world, then ceramic meeting the ledge. Ruby knows they both want to say something. But it isn’t worth it to destroy this truly silent night.
Hands gently brush up against each other, nothing being said as they intertwine. A warmth being felt from their hands to every part of them as they move closer to each other, closing off the space that dares seperate them. They lock eyes soon afterward with nothing but love filling them. Chika moves her free hand to Ruby’s free hand, both hands being filled with a soft warmth that’s more than enough to warm the two up. The snow continues its soft descent but it becomes nothing but a memory to them. As cliche as it sounds to them, they’re the only things in the world to each other.
One step closer. Whatever space is left between their bodies closes up only leaving distance between their heads. Ruby can feel Chika’s condensing breath warm on her neck and cheeks and she can bet Chika can feel that same warm sensation. For a minute or so, they stay like this. Wanting to do something, anything. But the night at hand is too precious and too perfect to take attention away from.
In a sudden yet slow movement, Chika tilts her head a bit and closes the space between her and Ruby all the way. The kiss is warm. It’s warmer than anything tonight. Even more so than the burning hot cocoa. The bitter cold that nips at any skin not under a layer of protection is now foreign to the two as a burning hot yet comforting warmth courses through their bodies. The hot chocolate all but forgotten as the snow seems to fall slower than ever, a night that truly seems too beautiful to even exist.
Maybe it’s the snow’s magic letting this night exist, Ruby wonders to herself.
They part after a while, warm feelings still pulsing through them with every heartbeat. Forehead against forehead and a few giggles to finally shatter the silence that’s taken over the world for the past few minutes now. The now cold pepperminty cocoa being nothing but a memory to Chika and Ruby. After a bit they lift their foreheads up and they once again lose each other in their eyes. Chika has a look of “kiss me again” on her face and as she tilts her head again, Ruby licks her lips and smiles.
She isn’t sure if it was the cocoa or Chika that left the taste lingering on her lips. She can only taste one flavor. One she’s learned to associate with love.
With one simple move, their lips meet again and Ruby can’t help but smile into the kiss.
Peppermint.