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"Gorilla," Kaoru snapped his fingers. "Bring me that blanket."
Kojiro carefully set down his hot chocolate before snatching up the blanket the pink haired terror was pointing at. He tossed it, and took great pleasure in hearing it whumpf! into Kaoru's face.
"You ape!" Kaoru said, but by then Kojiro was close enough to wrap him up completely. He cackled as Kaoru struggled, trapped underneath the fluffy blanket with his arms pinned.
Kaoru gasped dramatically as his head wiggled out through a gap. Pink hair was everywhere, and Kojiro only laughed louder as Kaoru spit out a list of insults he saved for special occasions.
It was fitting, because this was a special occasion. Kaoru's clientele were typically based in Japan, but a Canadian collector had reached out for a special demonstration. After some carbonara-related convincing, Kojiro had convinced Kaoru to get a private meal included, which meant bringing a private chef along. Kojiro would have to deviate from his usual Italian fare and do traditional Okinawan instead, but it was good to flex those muscles too.
Voices came from outside, and Kaoru struggled harder as the door opened.
"Woah, dudes," Reki said. Langa peeked his head over Reki's shoulder.
"Children, kill this man," Kaoru gasped. Kojiro grinned, and gave one last squeeze before releasing his quarry. He jumped out of reach as Kaoru furiously put his hair and glasses back in order.
"Why would I kill our chef?" Langa mused, and Reki chuckled as they stomped snow off their boots and began peeling off layers. Cold air swirled around the room as the door shut tight behind them.
"Maybe he only made hot chocolate for himself," Reki replied. It was muffled by the hoodie now pulled half over his head. His bright face popped back into view as he escaped the clutches of a scarf. "That would be a crime."
Langa looked solemnly at Kojiro.
"That would be a crime."
Kojiro groaned, but he couldn't begrudge them some cocoa. Plus, Kaoru was almost able to stand, so he danced back into the relative safety of the kitchen to heat up more oat milk.
Reki and Langa chatted with Kaoru as they waited. It was both fortuitous and a ridiculous coincidence that Langa was bringing Reki on a Canadian snowboarding trip at the same time Kojiro and Kaoru were on their getaway. Kaoru was convinced it was a conspiracy to get free dinner; Kojro was pretty sure it was because they all lived by the same S schedule.
"How's the storm looking?" he asked when the cocoa was ready. He set the steaming mugs on wooly coasters shaped like snowflakes. He looked up, and both Reki and Langa still had ruddy cheeks from their snowboarding lessons. Langa was in his element out here, and Reki was in full geek mode over learning board tricks.
"Perfect," Langa said.
"Still going," Reki said.
Kaoru rolled his eyes. "Carla, the forecast please."
"Of course, master. Snowfall is expected to continue until approximately 2 am in the present timezone, with total accumulation of 50.8 to 63.5 centimeters. I have compiled a list of alternate flight options to your destination."
"Thank you, Carla."
Carla's magenta light blinked off as she went back into sleep mode. Kojiro mentally kicked himself for thinking of the robot as "she." Kaoru could never learn of this slip-up.
"Yeah, you're stuck with us for at least another day," Reki laughed. There was also a blush on his cheeks not entirely from the cold. He'd been stealing glances at Langa since the moment Langa offered to let them stay through the blizzard, and Kojiro had once been a lovesick teen long enough to recognize the signs. He and Kaoru were definitely cutting in on their alone time.
"Alright, Princess," he said, slapping his knees and turning to Kaoru. "I'm making dinner. Do not fall asleep."
The boys giggled, and Kaoru glared. He could act tough, but Kojiro had seen those gold eyes drooping. Kaoru couldn't resist a cozy nap.
"I already promised to taste whatever horror you create," he sniffed.
"Us too!" Langa said, eager as ever when food was involved. He'd leaned forward in the excitement, and Reki was clearly relishing the invasion of his space.
"Yeah, we got your back!" Reki said.
Kojiro winked at the group, then headed into the kitchen. He'd had time to stock up at the local market just before the storm hit, so they were well provisioned. All in all this excursion wasn't so bad — Reki and Langa were getting their snowboarding in, Kaoru was analyzing jumps and slopes and math-y nonsense to his heart's content, and Kojiro had time to relax.
It had been a while since he'd left Japan, after all. There was Italy, of course, and a trip during culinary school to France, but Canada hadn't been on his radar. A low hum of chatter wafted into the kitchen as he worked, and Kojiro let the warmth of the Hasegawa family cabin and the musings of the living room lull him into a trance. He could get lost kneading pasta on a day like today.
The chatter eventually dimmed, and Reki and Langa snuck off to their rooms on tiptoe. Kojiro found out why after he placed his lasagna into the oven and emerged.
Kaoru was curled up on the loveseat; fluffy blanket pulled to his chin and long legs inextricably poking out the end.
Kojiro took a minute to take in the sight. If they weren't sharing a cabin with the kids, he'd think Kaoru positioned his legs precisely to show them off. Kojiro had spent a not insignificant portion of his life daydreaming about Kaoru's legs, and Kaoru, unfortunately, knew it.
Kojiro carefully stepped around to the empty couch, and watched TV until his oven timer beeped. The lasagna was perfect; sizzling cheese on top and a hearty smell of the sauce underneath. He set it to cool, and wondered how long it would take the hooligans to come running after the aroma. His own hooligan was still fast asleep, legs still tantalizingly displayed.
Kojiro yawned. The TV show wasn't very exciting, and Kaoru was right there. Surely he wouldn't mind a little body heat.
**
Reki and Langa finished off their generous portions of lasagna as quietly as they could. Langa looked longingly at the pan as Reki slid it carefully into the fridge, but Reki insisted they save a little for Joe and Cherry.
"Tomorrow we can finally go for poutine," Langa whispered.
Reki smiled, and grabbed Langa's hand to drag him back to their room. They both blushed, and tiptoed back upstairs.
A pair of brown eyes peeked open to see their clasped hands vanish around the wall. Kojiro smiled, and pulled his snoring beauty a little closer.
Kaoru snuffled at the movement, and opened one eye just long enough to smile back.
Maybe they should get snowed in more often.