DGM, "Survivalist Waiting Game"
Holiday fic: hashire, prompt Kanda/Lenalee, stuck in a snowstorm
The only way to not freeze to death is to make Kanda less of a stubborn bastard. The only one who could save both their lives is clearly Lenalee.
Contains Kanda/Lenalee.
.survivalist waiting game.
The wind howled so hard outside that it rattled the windows, seeping in through the cracks in the wooden walls. Lenalee flinched at the sound, curling deeper into the threadbare blankets. It was late, late at night, but the only thing she could see outside the window was the white of show coming down in non-stop sheets.
"It sounds terrible out there," she whispered.
Kanda was pacing, restless, glaring out the windows as if the blizzard offended him personally. But even throwing themselves suicidally out into the snowstorm wouldn't serve to end their mission any quicker; their target was no doubt hiding as much as they were.
"I wish Lavi were here," she added in a low murmur.
He said, "I don't."
She laughed in spite of herself. "Because he can control the weather with Iron Hammer."
Kanda made a grunt of acknowledgment, but the only thing he said, without so much as a glance at her, was, "If you move any closer to the fire the sheets will catch."
Lenalee glanced down at the blanket pooled around her icy toes and drew back self-consciously. She didn't know how he'd spotted the movement. Maybe Kanda really did have eyes in the back of his head. "It's hardly doing anything to heat me," she said, soft. Her hands and feet felt like they would freeze, although the ruby crystal rings around her ankles were an oddly liquid warmth. Her back was cold, and colder with every new burst of wind that was only broken and not stopped by the walls of the little cabin, and her her front felt only mildly less cold. She stretched out her hands to the fire.
"Don't. Just stop thinking about it and you won't be as cold."
Lenalee eyed him, and frowned. "Your lips are blue," she pointed out. "Come over here, warm up with me."
"No."
"You're freezing. You can pretend you're not cold, but you can't pretend you don't have hypothermia," Lenalee insisted.
"I said--"
"Your glowering out the window won't intimidate the blizzard into stopping, Kanda."
It didn't work for just anyone, but Lenalee had found that for herself, at least, volume and firmness would often get through to Kanda when reason failed. Although visibly disgruntled, Kanda nonetheless peeled himself away from his patrol to cross the room. He settled down cross-legged next to her and waved away her wordless offer of half the sheet, but she ignored that and wrapped it around his shoulders regardless.
"This blanket is thin enough already," he said, surly. "Keep it to yourself, you'll be warmer."
"I'm worried about you now," she told him. "Anyway, you can keep me warm."
Very slowly, color started to rise in Kanda's face. Oh, good, he's starting to warm up again, she thought, pleased. Lenalee leaned lightly against his shoulder and found his hands beneath the sheet, rubbing them between between her own.
Kanda muttered, "Don't say things like that. That idiot Komui will hear -- somehow."
Lenalee tried to think of what her brother might find objectionable about their situation. They were close together because of how cold it was, and Komui couldn't possibly object to their not freezing to death. But their leather uniforms quickly heated between them, and she was comfortable where Kanda was pressed up against her, lining her side and the back of her shoulder, and blocking the cold air.
For the first time, it didn't feel dangerous to let her eyes slip closed, even just for a moment...
When she woke up, it was quiet outdoors, and genuinely light instead of snow-brightened. Kanda was asleep, sitting upright with one hand gripping Mugen's hilt, and he hadn't moved even slightly, as if being careful not to disturb her.
The only way to not freeze to death is to make Kanda less of a stubborn bastard. The only one who could save both their lives is clearly Lenalee.
Contains Kanda/Lenalee.
.survivalist waiting game.
The wind howled so hard outside that it rattled the windows, seeping in through the cracks in the wooden walls. Lenalee flinched at the sound, curling deeper into the threadbare blankets. It was late, late at night, but the only thing she could see outside the window was the white of show coming down in non-stop sheets.
"It sounds terrible out there," she whispered.
Kanda was pacing, restless, glaring out the windows as if the blizzard offended him personally. But even throwing themselves suicidally out into the snowstorm wouldn't serve to end their mission any quicker; their target was no doubt hiding as much as they were.
"I wish Lavi were here," she added in a low murmur.
He said, "I don't."
She laughed in spite of herself. "Because he can control the weather with Iron Hammer."
Kanda made a grunt of acknowledgment, but the only thing he said, without so much as a glance at her, was, "If you move any closer to the fire the sheets will catch."
Lenalee glanced down at the blanket pooled around her icy toes and drew back self-consciously. She didn't know how he'd spotted the movement. Maybe Kanda really did have eyes in the back of his head. "It's hardly doing anything to heat me," she said, soft. Her hands and feet felt like they would freeze, although the ruby crystal rings around her ankles were an oddly liquid warmth. Her back was cold, and colder with every new burst of wind that was only broken and not stopped by the walls of the little cabin, and her her front felt only mildly less cold. She stretched out her hands to the fire.
"Don't. Just stop thinking about it and you won't be as cold."
Lenalee eyed him, and frowned. "Your lips are blue," she pointed out. "Come over here, warm up with me."
"No."
"You're freezing. You can pretend you're not cold, but you can't pretend you don't have hypothermia," Lenalee insisted.
"I said--"
"Your glowering out the window won't intimidate the blizzard into stopping, Kanda."
It didn't work for just anyone, but Lenalee had found that for herself, at least, volume and firmness would often get through to Kanda when reason failed. Although visibly disgruntled, Kanda nonetheless peeled himself away from his patrol to cross the room. He settled down cross-legged next to her and waved away her wordless offer of half the sheet, but she ignored that and wrapped it around his shoulders regardless.
"This blanket is thin enough already," he said, surly. "Keep it to yourself, you'll be warmer."
"I'm worried about you now," she told him. "Anyway, you can keep me warm."
Very slowly, color started to rise in Kanda's face. Oh, good, he's starting to warm up again, she thought, pleased. Lenalee leaned lightly against his shoulder and found his hands beneath the sheet, rubbing them between between her own.
Kanda muttered, "Don't say things like that. That idiot Komui will hear -- somehow."
Lenalee tried to think of what her brother might find objectionable about their situation. They were close together because of how cold it was, and Komui couldn't possibly object to their not freezing to death. But their leather uniforms quickly heated between them, and she was comfortable where Kanda was pressed up against her, lining her side and the back of her shoulder, and blocking the cold air.
For the first time, it didn't feel dangerous to let her eyes slip closed, even just for a moment...
When she woke up, it was quiet outdoors, and genuinely light instead of snow-brightened. Kanda was asleep, sitting upright with one hand gripping Mugen's hilt, and he hadn't moved even slightly, as if being careful not to disturb her.