Heart Beats (Ootori Choutarou) 06: Snow✶

-ˋˏ ༻❅༺ ˎˊ-

The cabin was quiet.

Atobe and the others had left a few hours ago to go on their little hiking trip, led by the Atobe Family's oldest and most loyal butler - who apparently knew a lot about the surrounding forest. Night had fallen by now, creating a blanket of black over the land. The snow on the trees and ground seemed to glow in the inky blackness of the night. Even so, it was still just as breathtaking now as it was during the day. The sound of birds had been replaced by the sound of hooting owls, awake for the night to do some hunting. Now that you thought about it, it was oddly similar to that dream you had, but that was probably just a mere coincidence.

"Damn. I wish I could live up here," you murmured, stepping out of your room. The wooden floor creaked beneath your weight as you headed for the sliding glass doors, heading out onto the wooden porch. Before your butt made contact with the wood, you felt something cold land on your cheek.

You blinked in surprise, looking up at the silky sky to see it filled with little drops of white that slowly floated down to the earth; it was beginning to snow again. This brought a smile to your face as you closed your eyes and leaned back on your hands. Living most of your life in the hotter part of the United States, you never got to experience snow until you moved to Japan. Maybe that's why it seemed even more magical to you because it was a rare treat that you never got to indulge with very often.

It was like a rare gem.

"Y/N-senpai?"

You looked over your shoulder to see Choutarou walking out of the cabin, giving you a soft smile. "Can I join you?"

"Er... sure," your eyes followed him as he walked over, shivering slightly when he made contact with the cold wood. "I thought you went with Yuushi and the others?"

He shook his head lightly, a small smile on his face. "I was feeling kind of tired, so I decided to stay here. Besides..." he looked away from you, his cheeks turning a rosy shade. You just figured it was due to the cold. "I know you don't mind being alone but... I didn't feel right leaving you by yourself."

You blinked in surprise before a soft smile came to your lips, a warm feeling erupting in your chest. "I appreciate that, Chou-chan."

He smiled brightly, leaning closer to you to regain some of his lost warmth. "It's so beautiful and I can't believe it's snowing!" he paused. "I'm happy... that you chose to come with us, Y/N-senpai."

"Heh?" you blinked again, eyes staring at the younger male. You didn't fail to notice how bright his cheeks had gone but, being oblivious as you were, you were convinced it was just the cold. You refused to believe he was blushing because of you.

"W-Well..." he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I really like spending time with you..."

You couldn't stop the bright smile that crossed your lips, nor could you fight against the warm feeling that nestled within your hammering heart. Never had you felt this way before, but it wasn't something you didn't like and you could definitely get used to this feeling.