Chapter Text
Another year, another gray
Another friend who moves away
Seems we're getting older every day
My sister has a baby now
The other one is writing vows
I hardly recognize this busy town
But winter comes around and
Snow is coming down and
Just like we were kids
Just like it always did
And despite it all I know that I can trust
No matter what this Christmas sent us
Time goes by and lovers turn to strangers
People stop believin'
But there's one thing that I know
We'll still be kissing in the cold
Time goes by and dreams get left for later
I can't stop the seasons
But there's one thing that I know
We'll still be kissing in the cold
Kissing in the Cold - JP Saxe and Julia Michaels
On December 19 of that year, Kaoru and Kojiro returned to Niseko.
This time they didn’t book a hotel room. They rented a chalet for two weeks, something with a real fireplace so they wouldn’t have any repeats of the power-outage fiasco they had experienced nearly a year before.
It was all planned out as precisely as Kaoru planned anything. One week just for themselves, leading up to spending Christmas together. On December 26th, the day after, all of their friends would fly up to Hokkaido with their families to join them for an additional week of winter activities. They’d all celebrate the passing into a new year together, then make their way back home to Okinawa.
It was the start of a new tradition. The creation of a trip that would set the standard for their reunions years down the line. And Kaoru wasn’t going to leave any room for it to end up anything besides absolutely flawless.
“Miya and his parents just landed and are on the way to their hotel,” Kaoru informed Kojiro, pacing across the kitchen with his phone in his hand so he could show his partner the message. “With current traffic patterns, they should arrive in Niseko within the next two hours. I assume they’ll need half an hour to settle into their room before Miya meets up with the others, which means we have three to four hours before everyone is here for dinner.”
Kojiro, who had been in the process of finishing the preparations for said dinner, placed his knife down on the counter. He humored Kaoru by tilting his head and looking down at the screen, even if he didn’t really need the visual confirmation and could have just taken his word for it.
“I see,” Kojiro mused, nodding at the phone before looking back up at Kaoru. “Does that mean you’re going to be storming around for the next three to four hours, or do you want to sit in the living room with me and relax for a bit?”
Kaoru frowned at Kojiro, and pulled his phone back so he could relay his information and timed schedule to the group chat. “We don’t have time to sit down and relax, there’s too much to do. Did you put the roast in the oven?”
Kojiro held up a hand as he started counting out the list of duties that Kaoru had given him and would not stop asking about. “The roast is in the oven, the driveway has been shoveled, I don’t need to text Hiromi our address because you’ve already sent it to him twice, everything else for dinner has been prepared and doesn’t need to start cooking until an hour before everyone shows up, the wine racks are stocked, bathrooms are clean, and we have house slippers that are going to fit everyone’s shoe size.”
“I need to check the spare bedding, in case it snows too much and Hiromi can’t drive everyone back to the hotel,” said Kaoru.
Kojiro looked out the window at the ‘terrifying storm’ Kaoru was so concerned about. Light flakes of white falling softly from the sky, barely dusting over the ground outside.
“Something tells me that isn’t going to be a problem.”
“You don’t know that for sure,” Kaoru said, frowning deeply as he switched over to a weather forecast app on his phone. “Hiromi isn’t used to driving through the snow. And according to the forecast, there’s a thirty percent chance of increased snowfall after the sun goes down.”
Kojiro sighed, reached over to take Kaoru’s empty hand, and pressed a wine glass into it.
“There’s a ninety percent chance of you giving yourself a stomach ulcer if you don’t stop worrying,” he said.
“Well, pardon me for wanting to be a good host,” Kaoru said. Still working away at his phone, but taking a sip from the glass of wine given to him.
“Kaoru, these are our friends we’re talking about. I’m pretty sure we could just lay out trail mix on a platter and they’d still consider it a five star experience,” said Kojiro. He took his apron off and hung it back up, fetching his own glass of wine and leaning back casually against one of the counters as they spoke. “What are you getting so worked up about?”
“I’m not getting worked up!” Kaoru snapped at him.
Kojiro didn’t escalate the situation. He just raised his eyebrows, and gave him a look to let him know that Kaoru had just made his point for him.
Kaoru grumbled in response, and finally put his phone down on the counter.
“I’m not getting worked up,” he tried again, calmer this time. “This trip is important. It’s the last time we’re all going to be together with our usual group dynamic before everything starts changing.”
“Ah,” Kojiro said thoughtfully. He had a feeling that there was some sort of underlying issue that was causing Kaoru’s state of distress. Something deeper than setting up dinner for their friends. “So, this is about Reki and Langa graduating in March, huh?”
“It’s not just that,” Kaoru said. Then he started walking again. Inspecting all of the food preparation laid out on the kitchen counters, looking through the cabinets to make sure they had enough cups and mugs to drink out of, and straightening out anything that seemed askew.
“Hiromi’s going to propose to Yua while they’re here. It won’t be long until they start a family of their own, and it’s difficult to balance a life between children and attending S. Not to mention travelling with young ones. They may be unable to join us like this again in the future. Additionally, the trip worked this time because we were able to plan it during winter break for schools, but that won’t be the case moving forward. Langa’s already getting heavily scouted to be a part of professional skateboarding teams, and that may lead him to opportunities where he has to move. I don’t doubt that wherever he ends up, Reki is likely to follow. Miya’s still young, but he’s getting to the age where it wouldn’t be unheard of for him to transfer to another city for more advanced training.”
Kojiro listened to Kaoru as he detailed out his thoughts on the matter, smiling softly the entire time.
“That all sounds like good news to me,” said Kojiro.
“Of course it’s good. If they didn’t move forward and take the chances to better themselves I’d be disappointed. I just want to make sure we appreciate the time we have left together to the fullest, before it’s gone.”
That was Kojiro’s cue. He set his glass of wine down and crossed the kitchen, moving up behind Kaoru so he could wrap his arms around him.
“I’m not going anywhere,” said Kojiro. He kissed the side of Kaoru’s head, letting out a pleased hum as he felt the tension start to ease out of his lover.
“I’m aware of that,” Kaoru replied. He leaned back into Kojiro’s embrace, and rested one of his hands on Kojiro’s forearm.
“And we have plenty of our own changes to look forward to,” Kojiro added. “Starting right when we get back from Niseko, when I close the lease on my apartment and finish moving everything over to your place.”
“ Our place,” Kaoru corrected him.
Kojiro laughed lightly, and squeezed Kaoru a bit tighter.
“Right. Our place.”
“Freeloader.”
“Hey, you’re the one who told me to move in.”
“It made more sense than the two of us living at your apartment. Mine is connected to my studio, and it’s privately owned and fully paid for.”
“You know what this sounds like?” Kojiro asked. With that he got a firm hold around Kaoru’s waist, and lifted him up into the air. “This sounds like a couch talk.”
“Hey!” Kaoru cried out, trying to hold his wine glass out and steady it so it wouldn’t spill. “I can walk there on my own!”
Kojiro ignored his protests, maneuvering Kaoru in his arms so he could hook an arm under his legs and back. The glass of wine that Kaoru was desperately trying to keep from sloshing around managed to distract him, as Kojiro left the kitchen and went over to the living room. He dropped down onto the couch and set Kaoru down in his lap, pleased to get his way in the end.
No more fretting over dinner preparations. No going over a laundry list of ways to make their cabin even more immaculate for the guests they’d be hosting.
Just Kaoru and Kojiro together, relaxing on the couch, talking about everything they had to look forward to.
Kaoru decided at that moment to abandon his wine. He set it down carefully on a coaster on the coffee table in front of the couch, then turned himself around in Kojiro’s lap so he could glare down at him properly.
“You are insufferable.”
“Thanks. I try,” Kojiro said, with a playful wink. He set his hands down on Kaoru’s legs, and continued forward with his earlier train of thought. “You want to know what else I’m looking forward to?”
“If you’re about to suggest something indecent, I’m leaving.”
“If you didn’t want me to get all hot and bothered, you shouldn’t have worn jeans~” said Kojiro. He leaned in and pressed his lips to the side of Kaoru’s neck, slowly dragging his hands up his legs.
Kaoru, sadly, put a stop to that. He got a hold of Kojiro’s wrists and pushed his hands back down.
“We don’t have enough time for that right now. Tell me something else you’re looking forward to.”
Kojiro frowned, but conceded.
“Fine. I’m excited to meet your parents again.”
Kaoru stopped frowning.
“My parents?”
“Yeah. It’s been… what. 10 years since I last saw them? I get that they already know me, but I feel like I should properly re-introduce myself now that they know we’re dating.”
“Kojiro, the last time I saw my parents was three years ago. They’re not warm people, or enjoyable to talk to. They’d spend the entire conversation asking you about how you plan to make your business more profitable and about your professional reputation. I’d much rather spend time with your family.”
Kojiro grinned up at him, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
“We’ll do that too. My mom’s been harassing me about visiting with you ever since I told her about us.”
Kaoru was smiling too now. He wrapped his arms around Kojiro’s shoulders, getting drawn into the thrill of planning their future together.
“I’d like that. Very much,” Kaoru said. “And I want to bring you to a gala some time. So you can meet some of my clients.”
“God, not the fancy suit parties,” said Kojiro, with a dramatic groan.
“Too bad. You’re coming, and you’re going to be on your best behavior. If we’re going to be married one day, it’s a chore you have to suffer through.”
Kojiro didn’t respond at first. He looked at the smile on Kaoru’s face, basking in the glow of it. He moved his hands up from his legs so he could wrap his arms around Kaoru, enjoying how they fit together.
There are very few moments that could be described as truly perfect in this world. One way or another, there’s always an aspect that leaves something to be desired. Too hot, or too cold. Too noisy, or too busy. The wrong company. Bad lighting.
But with the snow falling down gently outside of the windows, tucked away in a quiet chalet with the love of his life in his arms, Kojiro felt like he was the only man who had ever truly experienced what the perfect moment felt like.
No one else would be able to know what that was, because they didn’t have Kaoru.
“Do you want to get married?” Kojiro asked.
Kaoru paused for a moment, the gears turning in his head as he tried to figure out where the question had come from.
“Of course I do. When the time for that comes, nothing could make me happier,” he said.
“No. I mean, do you want to get married right now?” Kojiro clarified.
“... what?”
“Or- well. Not right now. When we get back to Okinawa.”
“... what ??”
Kaoru was still struggling to catch up. Everything else around him faded into the background. All of his plans for the evening, the reminders at the back of his mind to change into a proper yukata before the others arrived, and his internal schedule of when the roast needed to come out of the oven. All replaced by-
“Kojiro. Did you just propose to me?”
Kojiro hugged him snugly, and nodded. Resolved, with no hesitation or doubt.
“Yeah. You in?”
“No.”
The smile dropped from Kojiro’s face, and he scrunched his eyebrows together.
“What do you mean, no?”
Kaoru unwrapped his arms from around Kojiro’s shoulders, so he could lean back and cross his arms over his chest.
“That wasn’t a proper proposal,” he explained, trying to retain a cool air about him even as his face started to heat up. “You didn’t even give me a ring.”
“We already have rings. Remember?”
“Those are promise rings. Ones that I bought,” Kaoru said stubbornly. “If you want to ask me to marry you, you have to do it the right way. You have to give me an engagement ring, and you have to ask for my family’s blessing. Whether or not you receive that blessing is inconsequential, but it’s still the respectful thing to do. I want it to be a surprise, and I don’t want it to happen anywhere in public. Any way you decide to present the ring to me is up to you, but do not put it in food. You’ll have to take me out on a date. Somewhere thoughtful. Expensive enough to show how much you value me, but affordable enough for you to be able to cover the bill on your own.”
Kojiro tried to follow along, taking mental notes as Kaoru made his list of demands.
“Alright. So, if I do all of that…”
Kaoru uncrossed his arms. He dropped the sour look from his face, allowing himself to smile again. Heart still racing, he leaned down and kissed Kojiro tenderly.
“Then yes, Kojiro. I will marry you.”
Kojiro let out a heavy sigh of relief, and kissed Kaoru back. His soon-to-be fiance, and future husband.
“I’m going to buy us a house up here,” Kojiro said against his lips. “Something we can come back to every year. Big enough to fit all our friends in it if they need a place to stay.”
Kaoru laughed lightly, and kissed him again.
“You can’t afford that.”
“I’ll sell off a kidney or something. I’ve got good kidneys, I bet I could get a lot for one of them on the black market,” said Kojiro, with yet another kiss.
“I’ll loan you the money if you keep them.”
“Deal.”
Their lips pressed into each other, over and over again, only stopping to continue whispering to one another.
"When you propose to me, I want flowers. No roses," said Kaoru.
"No roses," Kojiro agreed.
"And you have to wear something nice."
"I'll pick out my finest t-shirt. 800 thread count."
"If you do that, I'm going to marry you just so I can immediately divorce you."
"Not if I divorce you first."
"Shut up."
Hours later, Kaoru received a message from the group chat that their friends were on their way.
All of the food had finished cooking, waiting in the kitchen to be served. Kaoru had changed into a formal yukata, and Kojiro was wrestled into a nice looking shirt that Kaoru had picked out for him. Only a few last minute preparations were left, and they’d be ready for the night ahead of them.
“It’s about to get pretty noisy in here,” Kojiro said, as the two of them looked at the product of their hard work sitting on the kitchen counters. “How much do you wanna bet something’s going to end up broken by the end of the night?”
“I’d rather not wish that into being by putting money on it,” said Kaoru.
He took out his phone again, and checked the time stamp on Reki’s message. 15 minutes left before their arrival.
“Let’s see… we’ve got the food. Hiromi’s beer is in the fridge, got the house slippers set out. Driveway’s been re-shoveled, and the porch lights are on,” Kojiro said, rattling off everything everything they had prepared.
Then the love of Kaoru’s life, his sunlight, the pulse in his heart, turned back towards him.
“That’s everything. Right, Kaoru?”
“Almost,” Kaoru said, and took Kojiro’s hands in his own.
Hands that supported one another through the years. That had wiped away tears, soothed over scuffed knees and broken skin, and that had held him so tenderly. The hands of his best friend. Young, strong, and full of love for each other. Hands that would work alongside his own, as they built their future together.
Hands with only two tasks left, before their evening celebration officially began.
“I’ll set the table. You can make the fire.”
The End