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Pearl woke slow and groggy, her cheek sore as she had slept with her head atop a desk. It was one of those naps where you must’ve slept for mere hours but it felt like decades to the small inkling woman. She lifted her head up trying to take in her surroundings. The monitor on the desk was open to some audio editing software. Shifting slightly in her seat, a blanket fell from her shoulders, someone had to have put it there.
“Marina…” Pearl said aloud as she realized that it must’ve been her.
Ever since the end of the year began rolling in, her taller counterpart had been complaining about how cold their apartment had started to get and just seemed not as chipper as before. Thus Pearl invited her over to spend some time together during the day to vibe and make music in case the pair had suddenly felt inspired. The last thing she could remember was watching Marina editing some vocal tracks they recorded earlier. A Squidmas song more specifically, which to Pearl's disbelief, her partner had never heard of.
She spun around in her seat, ready to apologize to Marina for napping while they were hanging out. Instead she found nothing but an empty sound studio. Wrapping the blanket around herself, she left the home studio and went out to search for her companion. Upon seeing a window her shoulders sagged, it was dark out now, and snowing too. Marina had probably left for her apartment by now. Now she was all alone. Family wouldn’t be back until her brother's holiday break and she sent most of her staff home ahead of the storm, leaving Pearl alone in that luxurious labyrinth she called home.
Pearl froze. The blizzard. “Carp!” She immediately pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked the time, she had only been asleep for around two hours. If Marina had left, it couldn’t have been very long ago. She searched for Marina in her contacts. She made the call, and the call went immediately to voicemail.
The worst of thoughts rushed through her head. Just about on the verge of tears as she anxiously paced her way to her way around the manor, unsure of what to do next. What was she gonna do now? Go after her? Call her landlord to check if she made it back safe? Search the whole place to see if she got lost on her way out? Find her sitting in front of the big window in the main living room? She stopped in her tracks, wait what? To her utter surprise, Marina sat there silently facing the window hugging her knees to her chest. Relief flooded every single fiber of Pearl’s being as she stepped towards her.
“You still here, ‘Rina?” Pearl asked, hoping her friend wouldn’t be able to tell that she nearly sent her into a panic.
“I didn’t want to leave before saying goodbye…” Marina answered not even looking at Pearl, her voice softer than the snow outside. “And I didn’t want to wake you up.” She turned back to the window. “Did you know you snore?”
“I do not.”
“Yes you do,” she giggled to herself and began to twirl a tentacle with her fingers. “It’s actually kinda cute~” Pearl huffed.
“Well, having a cute snore is better than a bad one.” Marina shook her head and sighed.
“I’m sorry if you didn’t want me over tonight, but I don't think my motorcycle can get me back to the city…” The small inkling went to sit beside her, gently patting her back.
“Nah, you’re good ‘Rina. I’m actually glad I’m not all alone here tonight…” She looked outside to the blizzard, the howling of the wind was sufficiently muffled by the manors walls. Without such harsh noises it actually looked rather peaceful, even despite the winds and her own unease with this state of the weather. “You like watching the snow?”
“It doesn’t snow where I’m from…”
Pearl leant over to read her face, the pair had known each other for a while now, how could she not have known that? Thinking a bit more on it, she actually had no idea where her now best friend even came from. She felt a little guilty in all honesty
“Like never, not even once?” Her partner shook her head.
“This is the first I’ve ever seen.” Pearl continued to watch her, watching the snow, her green eyes wide and bright against the moonlight that shone through the storm.
They sat like that for a few moments before Pearl extended her blanket to also cover Marina. The taller of them thanked her with a little hum. For a while nothing happened, they simply found comfort in the near silence, just one another and the snow. Pearl's own gaze occasionally shifted to the window, and then back to her friend. Whose whole presence emitted a sort of calm to wash over Pearl in waves.
“What do you think of it then?” She asked while slightly scooching closer to Marina, trying to get more blanket around herself.
“I think it’s beautiful…” Pearl raised a brow before letting her face relax and leaning a little on her partner. She tensed up when their shoulders touched, but just for an instant. “Can you touch it?”
“You could, its shella cold though.” She thought for a moment. “Maybe tomorrow, when it all calms down, I'll get you some of my mom's winter stuff and I’ll show you all the things you can do with it.”
“You can do things with it? Like what?”
“You can make snowsquids, build with it, eat it-”
“What’s it taste like?”
“Like water, but more cold. That’s all snow is, really, just frozen water.” Marina hummed again.
“Then, I cannot wait for tomorrow. Thank you Pearlie…”
“No problemo, anything for you ‘Rina…” Pearl turned back to look at her, getting stuck looking at her eyes again. The sight of those eyes of hers just about melted Pearls hearts, they were just full of such wonder. It was intoxicating. “You know what else is beautiful?”
“What’s that?”
“You, Marina.” Marina nearly fainted. Pearl didn’t notice. “The way you look at the most simple things and it’s like the whole world in your eyes. Even just this cold ass storm,” she pouted a little. “I don’t like it when it snows this hard. It puts a stop to things and we’re stuck inside.” She chuckled thinking back as she casted her gaze to the ground. “When I was little I was actually scared of it, nowadays not so much. But looking at how you see it now, maybe it isn’t so bad.”
Pearl looked back up to Marina, if it were any brighter, she would've seen her friend blushing madly from those comments. As for said blushing friend, she couldn't find the right words to respond, her mouth hung open, it evolved into a yawn as the seconds passed. Shaking her head, she then practically spun to face Pearl. The inkling girl stared, caught off guard by the very sudden motion.
“Can you stay here and watch snow with me?” Marina's voice was tiny despite the intensity at which she looked at Pearl, who just smiled back at her.
“Of course-” She suddenly yawned too- “sorry if you catch me snoring again, I dunno how long it’ll be till I’m napping again.”
“Me neither honestly…” She fully rested her body against Pearl’s, unable to really find a comfortable spot.
“Wait,” Marina immediately sat up, worried she’s crossed a line. But then Pearl rose, pulled a nearby ottoman closer to them, sat against it and spread her legs, then pat the space in between. “It’ll be more comfortable right here.”
When Marina didn't answer she reconsidered if this was something a bit too close for friends. Then again she had seen plenty of friends growing up intimate like that, some even with her. And those weren’t romantic, usually. Before Pearl knew it, however, Marina made her way between her legs and laid back against her partner's chest. The smaller of them wrapped her arms around her shoulders as she pulled a blanket over to cover the both of them.
There the two of them sat, for hours until both were fast asleep before the vast main living room window of Houzuki manor. Pearl wouldn’t admit it to herself until much much later, but she felt something that night. Something akin to the same warmth she felt when she first glanced upon Marina. It was enough to guide her through the storm, that’s all she knew now.