Chapter Text
The snow fell, infrequent flakes drifting onto the piles and piles that already coated the land. Amidst the cold and the dark, a little flicker of warm orange light stood out- a campfire, cozily crackling, four sleeping bags arranged about it. Three were full, but the fourth was empty; dusty yellow fabric lying limply on the ground.
But in the dead of night, the green bag shuddered- Erin fidgeting, though only a little, before she rose up- carefully sliding into a sitting position without hitting any of her stuff arranged around her, as her right hand fumbled momentarily for her glasses- rubbing the sleep from her eyes before they found their place on her face.
As the world came into focus, so too did the figure hunched over the fire- so close to it that it was a surprise that her coat wasn’t burning. Above the fire, however, was a kettle- sitting on a little lattice above the flames, steam pouring forth from the spout as it shook slightly.
Grabbing the hanging handle with a stick, Meg began to lift the container away from the fire- almost swinging it straight into Erin herself; pausing just before she did, with a very slight exclamation.
“Oh.” The kettle rocked back and forth, as Meg simply stared from under the brim of her beanie- almost like she was lagging as she just stood there.
“Hi, Meg.” Erin took a step back, giving Meg and her kettle some space, letting her move it past, and plop it on a small pile of bricks, not yet concealed by snow. “What are you doing?” She knelt opposite, staring over the pile as Meg went on a quick detour- rummaging around for a second before returning with two mugs, dropping one into Erin’s hands- where she almost didn’t catch it.
Picking up the kettle with a tea cloth, brown, steaming hot liquid poured forth from the pot: “Coffee.” Done with her own, she tipped some more into Erin’s expectant mug
“Are you keeping watch? You didn’t even ask for shifts. I can take over, if you want.” Not much could be seen around them; a few clouds, the moon, but that was about it. At the moment, the veil of night was more of a heavy curtain, and thoroughly impenetrable.
“Nah. There’s no-one near, and we’re more or less well hidden.” Moving away once again, she grabbed a bag of sugar- pouring so much into her mug that Erin wasn’t sure it’d all dissolve. Swirling it a little, Meg took a slight sip, but swiftly recoiled when it touched her lips, not having anticipated the scolding heat of the drink- despite the steam still floating off.
As she blew on the coffee in her own mug, she couldn’t help but question how well hidden they were: “We’re in the open, though.”
The buildings around them were little more than rubble- roofs were floors, their tiles tessellated below the snow. Bricks stacked higher than seven were a rare sight. And amidst it all, this glowing, burning beacon that was their campfire.
A gust of wind cried as it echoed through the city’s remains, only highlighting the pause as the sniper blew on her boiling beverage. “They won’t expect us to be hiding there, will they?” Satisfied with her logic, she took another sip- too hot, once more.
Somehow, however, Erin accepted her logic too. “No, I suppose you’re right…” She mused on the complex psychology of Meg’s reasoning, looking for the wisdom that the aloof scout was obviously working off, yet she never could quite identify…
Well, she had to be missing something.
At last, Meg managed to take a proper sip, no longer scalding hot; and so, tentatively, the engineer followed suit. It was surprisingly good stuff- she must’ve had some secret trick to greatly improve the quality.
Meg’s head tilted up, awaiting a verdict (or at least it seemed like she was. Maybe she was just gazing at the sky. Hard to tell with her beanie basically obscuring her eyes). Still, she did ask. “Good coffee?”
Appreciatively, Erin responded: “Yes. Thank you.” She took another sip as she did, energised as the last traces of her slumber wore off.
Meg drank deeper each time- almost emptying her mug already. “No worries. Don’t tell the shopkeeper.”
“What?” Meg didn’t really react, coat flapping in the breeze when she turned around to refill her mug. Though when she sidled up to Erin again, she did reply:
“I got the coffee mixed up. It’s fine. Hers tastes better than ours anyway.” Her nonchalance remained as she said that, putting her mouth to the cup, unbothered by the facts she had revealed- though not by the newfound heat she had already forgotten, recoiling as she tried to drink.
That heat began to seep through them, from both the coffee and the still snapping flames behind, as they watched the clouds sail by, blots of soft shadow against the dark above, the moon’s light slipping through, though only on occasion. Still, it’s silver glow was a welcome addition, as it travelled further and further across the sky.
Now staring at the slightly stained ceramic bottom of her own mug, coffee gone at last, she turned just to the side, where Meg leant right beside her. “How long are you going to stay up for?”
The sniper shrugged, letting her head rest against Erin’s shoulder as her empty cup dangled carefree from its handle, in her leisurely grip. “I dunno.” Even with the coffee in her system, there was still a slight sluggishness to their scout’s movements- a degree of drowsiness that persisted, and had led to their current cosy embrace.
She turned back for a second, looking towards the still not empty pot, filled mostly with air, but also the little of the brew that remained. “Want more?”
Meg smiled, though she didn’t move an inch. “Sure.”
There never was much of a rush, with her. Though, surrounded by the slothful snow and by their slumbering companions, that calm mood fit right in- in their little pocket of warmth.
(In the morning, the shopkeeper couldn’t help but feel that a spoonful or two of her extraordinarily expensive, speciality grade SHG coffee had gone missing…)