Welcome to Gaia! ::

Snow fell in a quiet hush outside, covering the ice and slush in a soft blanket of ice.

The day before had been spent mainly in the kitchen, the two of them cooking all sorts of delectable treats from cookies and muffins to pies and candied popcorn to munch on while they watched movies together. One would have thought that after their strange encounter with the gremlin last October, sugary sweets would have been so far removed from their choice of snacks because of how much they had gorged themselves on. But the nostalgia of this place and the list of memories they wished to share begged for something sweet on the lips and warm in their tummies.

For as much work there was also fun in that mistakes had been made when adding dry ingredients into the blender sending plumes of flour and sugar into the air. It was a moment worth remembering which was why, once the mix had been put in the oven to bake, she had snuck a photo of Wolframite with a layer of powder on his ears and batter on the side of his face before he had a chance to clean himself off.

Laven hummed to herself while a Christmas movie played, one she had already seen but still fun to watch. But it meant that it didn’t have her full attention as her mind continued to wander a bit.

Held between her hands was a mug of peppermint hot chocolate that had been made the traditional way on the stove with actual melted chocolate and milk with a peppermint stick. It was topped with sweet whip cream and sprinkled with a crushed candy cane. For Wolframite she had made a drink that was something her parents enjoyed, a Tom and Jerry with brandy and rum. Growing up with the virgin version she actually preferred it without the alcohol but from time to time she added just the rum.

Bundled in a warm blanket she leaned her head against Wolframite’s shoulder. A fire crackled in the hearth, warming the cabin and she sat on the couch as a buffer between them, taking responsibility for adding more wood if the flames got too low.

At the same time the pizza delivery boy rang the bell in the movie, someone, or something, rang the doorbell at their front door. She turned around, confused by the perfect timing of it that it made her almost wonder if it had been imagined.

From the TV a gangster replied...

‘I’m gonna give you to the count of 10 to get your ugly, yellow, no-good keister off my property before I pump your gusts full of lead.’

‘All right, Johnny, I’m sorry… I’m going.’

‘One. Two. Ten!’

There was a loud sound of spraying bullets and a man laughing maniacally when Laven turned back to Wolframite, “I think someone’s at the door.” But they were so far removed and hadn’t told anyone where they were staying that it seemed unlikely they would be expecting any visitors unless it was someone thinking the homeowner was here.

“I don’t know, maybe?” Laven shrugged and once the twine was free she ran a sharp claw along the tape and opened the lid cautiously.

In the last few months, enough weird stuff had already happened that having something jump out at them was not beyond the realm of possibility. Especially if there were no footprints left behind and neither of them sensed a signature blip into existence then disappear again. They may have been engrossed in a movie and warm drinks but that would be something neither of them could ignore.

Peering inside she raised a brow at the peculiar object, “It’s… a top hat.” Such a strange thing to be given since neither of them could comfortably wear one. With his ears and her horns, it would sit awkwardly atop both their heads. Still, the knowledge didn’t stop her from taking it out and raising it above his head to place it over one of his hears. Canted heavily to one side, the sight made her grin.

“Looks good,” she jested, then gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Laven stuck the tip of her tongue out at him teasingly when he pulled away. “Considering you’ve only picked one outfit for me to wear, someone might just be trying to give you ideas.” She shrugged while humming ♪Putting on the Ritz♫. “Unfortunately we both kind of suck at dancing, otherwise I would have considered taking you p on the tap dancing thing though.”

Glancing at the TV, a smirk pulled the corner of her lips noting that the moment he paused it, though blurred, was when the Pizza delivery guy ran around the house and tripped over the dumpster cans causing a flurry of snow to pepper him with white flakes as he scrambled off the screen. “Oh,” As if she had been struck by an epiphany she spun around on the couch to look out the window behind them.

With the erratic change in weather behavior, Laven had to wonder how well the snow would stick if they went outside. “We can build a snowman, like Frosty.” She suggested suddenly.

♪ There must have been some magic
In that old silk hat they found♫

Laven removed the tophat from her head and while holding it she knew that there was something special about it but couldn’t quite place what before setting it in his lap.

♪For when they place it on his head
He began to dance around♫

“What do you say? Want to go upstairs and get changed for a bit?” They had been lazy bumpkins for a few hours now,

Laven shifted where she sat beside him then got up to fold the blanket they had been using. “I think I saw a scarf in one of the guest bedrooms. Probably left behind from one of the previous renters.” Just a little finishing touch for the snowman once they were done. All they’d be missing would be a carrot for a nose, but they could just make do with a rock or something.

She followed after him as the two made their way upstairs and for a moment she hesitated in the doorway.

With how things between them have progressed, was it ok to change in the room together or should she just let him go first or take her clothes into the bathroom? Beneath her comfortable clothes was just a normal set of undergarments, nothing fancy like the lingerie she had worn for him the first night they were here.

The thought of which caused a blush to sweep across her face at the memory of it.

How fickle was she to go from being confident-ish and forward back to timid and shy like the day they first started dating? “I uh,” Laven paused, took ahold of his paw then leaned her head against his shoulderblade effectively hiding her face from view.

She sighed, “I”m sorry. I’m a mess…” an embarrassed laugh escaped her. “I need to know what to expect going forward now that we-” Her voice trailed off, the ending of that sentence left implied. It was something she needed to know because it didn’t just affect the rest of their little vacation, but also how things would change once they got back. Whether they were together still after the new year things would definitely be different between them going forward.

Laven fell silent behind him, his question echoing in her mind. So much like him to get directly to the point rather than beat around the bush as she often did when nervous with half asked questions.

Without knowing what he wanted going forward she nodded her head timidly. “Yes-” Laven replied quietly, but with his sensitive hearing, she know that he could hear her clearly.

Lifting her head she moved to the side so she could see his face. “But this isn’t something only I can decide.” Worry was evident in her expression while inside her heart wrenched and stomach flipped anxiously. This is what their vacation was leading to was it not? Whether they decided today or a week from today when New Year came around it was a discussion that needs to be had.

“I- I’m not interested in being friends with benefits.” Unable to hold his gaze her eyes fell down to an arbitrary spot on his shirt. “If you want to be with me then be with me. But…” She paused to gather her throughs for a moment. “I can’t tell what it is you want going forward. I don’t know if I can meet your needs or if I was even worth waiting for…” On one hand, she may be nieve to how relationships actually work but that didn’t make her blind to the fact that he would oftentimes leave the room late at night to take a shower. In those moments she played ignorant, pretending to remain asleep but she was aware that there were reason why he got up and left.

For a split moment, Laven considered shifting form so she could evade his question, for now at least. But ultimately decided against it; if not now then he would just wait the thirty seconds when her magic faded and ask her again. Plus, she was kind of the one to start this conversation.

“You already give me what I want. Affection… attention… time…” There were moments when a firm hand stern advice was necessary such as when training or when they were out exploring the Rift. “There’s not much else I can really ask for.” Which was only a half-truth because there were a couple of things she would like to know; just perhaps not right now, maybe later on down the road.

“I’ll let you know,” Laven finished his sentence then returned his kiss with one of her own. She ran her tongue along his lower lip then nipped it playfully. “Later,” a potential promise for a repeat of the previous night but for now she placed her palms against his chest and gently pushed him away.

“Why don’t you get dressed first?” Least they get distracted and miss their opportunity to go outside. “With how odd the weather has been I don’t want to wait too long. Otherwise, we risk the snow turning to slush again.” He wanted to create new memories, to do things. Not just curl up in bed beneath a pile of blankets.

While it might seem childish to build a snowman, or a snow family, or perhaps even an igloo, they were all fond memories Laven had from when she was a child. Even though, the igloo always turned more into a fort or a retaining wall to protect her against the onslaught of snowballs being thrown her way it was fun to sometimes just forget about adult responsibilities and remember what it was like to just be a kid; something he had no real memory of.

“Maybe,” She admitted.

With a mix of a shy yet embarrassed smile, she leaned her shoulder against the door frame and crossed her arms beneath her chest. There was no denying that last night was very enjoyable but then again she had been an active participant and not a passive bystander at least when it came to removing his shirt.