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Snow kicks up in flurries under Katarina’s winter-edition boots as she runs (doesn’t tread delicately so she doesn’t get snow on her shoes – runs) across the white-draped academy grounds, spins in pointless little circles and makes some a noise he’s dangerously tempted to call a wallop. Apparently, the synthesis of fresh snowfall and freedom from school is recipe for supreme joy, judging by the bright grin on her chill-flushed cheeks as she dashes back to him loyal terrier style.
Perhaps here as the one with a sense of a social conduct between them he should be scolding her for her decidedly improper behaviour, but he can’t bring himself to care when there’s no around to enforce the meaningless standards and she looks so happy. Besides, he is not in good stead to judge – perhaps it is because he’s in a good mood himself, but her joy is infectious enough that he finds him treading a little heavier than need be and pricking his ears for the oddly satisfying gentle crunch they make.
“Isn’t it incredible!” she cries, volume excessive for how close they are. Her voice seems to echo around the abandoned grounds, emphasising all the more how right now it is a little world just for the two of them. She breathes out heavily, breath misting in clumsy clouds in front of her. “I thought for sure all the snow’d be ruined since we got out so late, but it’s perfect, like no-one’s trod on it!”
She laughs, breathless. Beautiful. For all her lacking décor, his own poised answer feels awkward by comparison. “Since we left quite a bit later than the other students with the amount of time we spent in the student council, there must have been plenty time for fresh snow to cover up their tracks.”
He extends a hand to let a few of the delicate unique flakes fall on it, feels their slight damp chill. She imitates him and yelps a little. “Mm, it’s really coming down huh? It was exciting to watch outside the classroom window, thinking about how fun it’d be to play in made concentrating even more difficult…”
Oh dear. Single-minded as usual. Luckily, she’s distracted enough by bravely going to catch more snowflakes to notice the impolite way he smothers down an ironic grin. Deliberately, he lets his voice turn a little more slow and teasing as he articulates his next words carefully. “It sounds most trying. You must have been having a hard time with wanting to get out after school as well, with how antsy you were in the student council.”
“Yeah, it was really – geh! You noticed?!” How could I not? You kept looking out the window and were fidgeting in your seat like a child waiting for sweets… or, like yourself even now waiting for sweets.
She visibly deflated, casting a rueful look to the ground as though caught in some grand conspiracy. “Ugh, nothing gets by you. That’s the cunning prince for you…” Hmm, how much of that was meant to be said out loud? He might take offense, you know? Besides, she is the one that is far too easy to read.
He chuckled beneath his breath and, unable to resist, pushes on to tease her a little more as punishment. “If you wanted to get out so much, you only needed to say the word. There’s no need to force yourself to hang back with the rest of us just because we have work to do.”
And – oh, Katarina, as paradoxically predictable in some ways as she is utterly unfathomable in others, gawks in comedically exaggerated fashion, stumbling backwards in a series of muffled crunches as she frantically flings her hands about in front of her. “No, no – not at all! It’s not like that! I mean, it’s true that I did want to go play in the snow as soon as possible and I kept thinking that I wanted to go already-“ Candid as always. “But it’s no fun on my own!”
“…Hm?” He blinks, his reverie in her commonplace reactions interrupted. As if sensing his stalling, she hastens on.
“I have the most fun when I’m together with everyone, so there’s no way I could just leave on my own.” She finishes, wringing her hands in a cutely abashed manner.
“It is just the two of us at the moment though.” He speaks with a great degree of caution, knowing that he is likely putting himself in the firing line to be shot down in some unfortunate oblivious manner.
Katarina cocks her head like he’d just said something silly. “Obviously, it’s more fun together with you than when I’m on my own. I love spending time with you.”
He freezes. Whatever heat remains in his body glows to life in his chest. Oh. It was the other, equally likely with her, option, where she spontaneously says something so sweet and painfully, densely sincere that he feels he’ll melt right away, that makes his tongue clam up and thoughts spin out such that taking her in the arms is all he can do to share any of that feeling with her.
“P-prince Geordo?” she stammers, body seizing as he takes it in his arms. She’s warm, dreadfully warm, all the warmer with how cold it is and how inviting her atmosphere is. He indulges himself, squeezes her softness to him a little and presses his cheek into her neck. It’s so nice. Being with her is so nice, brings him such warmth even in such abysmal temperatures.
It’s fine, too, that he can do this right now, what with how he managed to organise and complete the work such as to leave his blockades too drowned in bureaucracy to follow him and Katarina in a timely manner. They’ll probably be along shortly, so surely it isn’t terrible to enjoy this stolen moment…
Stolen. It shouldn’t be something considered stolen. She is his fiancée, and time owned by just the two of them should be a given. Although, he probably is hugging her a little too long. She’ll get uncomfortable at this rate.
With some regret, he carefully goes to extract himself, apology on his lips, when its pushed out by her strong arms wrapping tight around him – pulling him to back to his earlier position, held close with her, only slightly less steady on her feet. His pulse sounds in his ears.
“Ah – Katarina?”
“S-sorry,” her voice stammers from her face is buried somewhat pleasantly in his chest. He can practically feel her lips move as she talks. “It’s just it’s r-really cold after all I think, and you’re – so warm. Is it okay?” As if her soft voice saying such things weren’t deadly a poison enough already, she tilts her head back so he can see from piercing blue eyes peer brightly, gently up at him, a perfect match with the cool clear sky circling intimately around them.
If it were anyone else in this world, he’d for sure call this a ploy – a transparent little bit of theatrical appeal. But it’s Katarina, so she most definitely has no idea what she does to him. What this would do to anyone else whose arms she innocently found warm.
He curls his arms, the ones she is currently in, more comfortably and closely around her. Strokes the silky, ice-damp hair on her head. Swallows the expanding feelings back down his throat where they are safe by his heart. “Of course. Stay as long as you like. I was cold too.”