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The storm was heavy throughout the night, and in the morning, you saw a pristine layer of beautiful snow that stretched across the land for as far as the eye could see.
You had woken up as soon as there was light. It seemed that your friends had not realized it was morning yet, still snug and warm in their beds. You didn't have the heart to wake them, even though you were so excited about the snow. You had grown up in the city, so this vast expanse of nature was not something you were familiar with. Your heart pulsed with excitement, and you dressed warmly to go outside and do some exploration.
"Wow..." you whispered, afraid that you might shatter the peace if you were not silent. It was a wonderland. Even the sun had emerged from behind the clouds, causing the snow to glimmer in the light. There was no sound at all, not even birds or the rustling of trees as the wind passed through branches.
You sighed, watching as your breath turn to mist in the frigid air, drifting away as quickly as it came.
You began to wander, leaving your footprints behind you as you started toward the forest. You didn't like the fact that you ruined the beautiful snow with each step you took, but that couldn't be helped.
"Hey, _____!"
You turned around to see that there was someone following you -- Kaoru. "Oh, hi!" you said. "Is everyone else asleep?"
"Yeah," Kaoru said. "I noticed that your bed was empty, so I thought I'd search for you out here. "Lo and behold, I found a set off footprints leading me right to you."
"Snow does tend to do that, huh?"
He grinned. "I guess it does. So what are you doing out here? It's freezing." He was bundled up tightly in his winter coat, a long scarf around his neck, and mittens on his hands. He hugged himself, trying to keep in the warmth.
"It's just too pretty to ignore. I've never seen so much snow in my life."
"So we come up to the skiing and snowboarding, and you come up for the snow? Who does that?"
You laughed. "I'm here for the skiing, too. There's just nothing wrong with enjoying the weather, too, is there?"
"What's so good about the snow anyway? It's just frozen water."
"But you can do so much with it." You began to shift some of the snow beneath your feet so that there was a small pile. "Here, help me make a snowman. It'll be fun!"
As reluctant as Kaoru seemed, for this must have been a very silly concept to him, he worked with you without a single complaint. Soon enough, the base of the snowman was done, and the both of you hustled to create a body and head.
"We need something for the face and buttons," you said with a small frown -- how were you supposed to make a snowman if you couldn't even find pebbles for its features?
Kaoru looked thoughtful. "Hey, would this work?" he asked, as he pulled a package out of his pocket.
"Milk Duds?" you laughed. "That's great! That would work perfectly!" You accepted his offering, ripping the package open and dumping the Milk Duds out in the palm of your gloved hand. "Here, I'll give you the honors of placing the first one."
He plucked one from you and shoved it gently into the snowman's head; it became the left eye.
“They’re the same color as your eyes. Let’s go ahead and make you.”
“I don’t know if you can capture this face in a lump of snow, but I’d like to see you try.”
The both of you continued with the Milk Duds until there was a happy face and several buttons running down the front of the snowman’s chest. You fetched two small branches for the two arms and a small rock for the nose.
You studied the snowman, taking a few steps back to see if there was anything else you could add.
“It doesn’t look like me,” Kaoru said.
“You’re right. It’s missing something.”
“Let me guess -- Hikaru, right?”
You looked at him. “Just because you’re always with Hikaru doesn’t mean that you’re not two different people. I can think of you without thinking of him, and I certainly wasn’t thinking of him just now.”
Kaoru seemed genuinely surprised by your remark, and he quieted. “Really?”
“Really. The fact that you have a twin doesn’t define you. Besides, don’t tell him I said this, but I’ve always thought you were the better-looking one.”
A light blush dusted across his face. “T-thanks, _____.”
You glanced at the snowman and then back at Kaoru again. “Aha!”
“What?” he said.
“I know what your snowman is missing.” You leaned in close to him and gently unwrapped his scarf from around his neck; you transferred it to the snowman. “He needs a sense of fashion, since you’re always so good at that.”
You returned to Kaoru and began removing his hat when he leaned in and kissed you. You were caught off guard, but you found yourself returning the kiss as he wrapped his arms around you. The cold dissipated, the world fading into a fantasy. For a moment, the both of you were lost in a flurry of passion.
When you pulled away, you took his hat with you, grinning wildly as you arranged it on the snowman. “Much better,” you said. “I’d say he looks just like you.”
He chuckled as he stood next to you, an arm around your shoulder. “He’d look perfect if he had a pretty girl hanging off of him.”
“Well, she’s just a pile of snow away,” you said, and minutes later, the snowwoman began to appear.
By the end of the early morning, there were two snowpeople, each wearing your scarves and hats, standing affectionately next to one another with large smiles on their faces.