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A perfect bonding activity, their teachers had said as they handed out small slips of paper, assigning two students to a cabin each. Stella had felt her eyes widen as she read Beatrix’s name on hers.
It was to be a week-long camping trip. The goal was to expose the students to harsh conditions in order to strengthen their resolve and their magic. Or so Stella had been told.
The wooden cabin with minimal furnishings she’d be assigned to was certainly selling that idea.
She pulls on the handle of her luggage and struggles to keep it behind her as it drags on the dirt path with rocks and twigs frequently rocking the wheels from side to side.
When she arrives at the cabin, she finds Beatrix already at the steps with a black duffle bag swung over her shoulders and an unimpressed expression sitting on her face. ‘So you’re my roommate for this hellish trip, princess?’
Stella huffs as she drags her luggage up the steps. It thumps against each of them as she climbs. ‘That seems to be the case, yes.’
Beatrix rolls her eyes and pulls out the cabin key, turning it in the lock. She places her hand on the handle, looking back at Stella. ‘You could at least try to be enthusiastic about it.’
Stella swallows sharply and follows Beatrix inside. If she were to be perfectly honest, she is very enthused about this arrangement. In the time she’d been spending with Beatrix at Alfea, their friendship had grown as equally as their teasing.
For Stella, however, friendship wasn’t quite the right word anymore. Not that she could say that. She’d survive the week with Beatrix, spend most of her time not in this cabin, and eventually return back to Alfea with her feelings still locked securely away.
Beatrix immediately chooses her own bed on the right of the room, throwing her duffle bag at the end of it. She unzips her bag and pulls out a bottle of whiskey, half empty, and places it between them. ‘You know, I was planning to drink my roommate choice sorrows away with this for the week. It seems I’ve gotten lucky and can share it instead.’
Stella wets her lips. With how nervous she was, she was sure she could drink that entire bottle by herself and still be unable to look Beatrix in the eyes. What a mess. She wheels her luggage to the end of her bed. ‘Well, with such good company, we’ll hardly need that liquid courage.’
Beatrix walks across the room and sits on the edge of Stella’s bed. ‘The princess refusing a good drink? Who are you and where’s the real Stella?’
Stella smiles awkwardly. ‘Still very much here, just, um, trying to have a clean training week.’
She mentally groans. A clean training week? Could she really think of nothing better?
Beatrix laughs and hops off Stella’s bed. She walks back to her duffle bag and rifles through it, pulling out a shot glass. ‘Right, now we definitely need a little for you.’
Beatrix hands her the glass and Stella can’t deny that refusing Beatrix when she laughed and smiled at her like that was almost impossible. She lets Beatrix pour her a shot and downs it in one quick motion.
Beatrix smirks and plucks the glass out of Stella’s hand, pouring herself a shot into the same glass. She drinks it in the same way Stella had and places it down on the nightstand next to her bed. ‘Seems like you needed that.’
Stella nods. ‘Perhaps a little.’
An announcement echoes through the room. ‘All students to the main grounds of the camp. All students!’
Stella sighs, ‘Time to face reality.’
Beatrix pats the small of Stella’s back, guiding her out of the cabin. ‘It’s not so bad with you.’
Stella feels a smile form on her face. ‘Same to you.’
She’s not sure whether Beatrix has the same thoughts on their friendship that she did, but in moments like this, she’s given a little bit more hope than she’d previously had.
She locks the cabin behind her and places the key in her pocket, following Beatrix to the main grounds.
They start their first lesson with a mix of determined students and students who definitely had no intention of training at all.
Bloom was one of the latter students. She grins widely as she and Aisha play a game of building snowmen then dramatically melting them with an unnecessary amount of fire.
Stella can’t help but laugh along with Bloom as she starts cackling wildly much to the chagrin of their teachers.
Stella practices a few basic light magic spells, idly trying to recreate the aurora in the sky in her hands with varying success.
Beatrix slides up to her side, a thick scarf wrapped around her neck, covering her face up to her nose. She glares at the snow as if it were attacking her personally.
‘Nice scarf,’ Stella comments, an amused smile on her face.
Beatrix huffs and crosses her arms. ‘I stole Riven’s. No one informed me it would be an ice camp.’
Aisha piques up next to them, ‘Well technically snow and ice and very similar, did you know-’
Beatrix waves her hand. ‘No, and again, no, I don’t want to learn more.’
Aisha flicks some cold snow at Beatrix’s chest as she walks away. She returns to their fire-loving suitemate that Terra, Flora, and Musa, were doing a terrible job of attempting to placate.
Stella snorts when Beatrix kicks the snow then groans dramatically when it soaks her pants legs, promptly making her that much colder.
When she starts shivering, Stella nudges closer and reaches for one of Beatrix’s hands. She knows this definitely is not a typical friendship thing to do, but she can’t bring herself to care.
‘What are you doing?’ Beatrix huffs, tugging her hand back to her body.
Stella rolls her eyes and tugs Beatrix’s hand back to herself. ‘Stop being so stubborn.’
Beatrix tilts her head back, ‘I’m not stubborn, I am simply being cursed by conditions that would only please those two monsters.’ She gestures towards Aisha and Bloom who had begun to laugh loudly, throwing snowballs at each other, all the while ignoring the teacher’s commands to do anything but that.
Stella shakes her head and calls on her light magic, using it to warm Beatrix’s hands. She hadn’t exactly worked out how to use it to melt the snow, so she figured this could suffice.
When Beatrix frowns at their joined hands, Stella answers the unspoken question. ‘I’m using my magic to warm your hands.’
Beatrix doesn’t pull away, though her hands slacken in Stella’s grip. ‘Why?’
Stella rubs her thumb against the back of Beatrix’s hand. ‘Maybe I just like seeing you happy.’
Beatrix makes a popping sound with her lips but squeezes Stella’s hands, accepting the warmth. ‘A poor decision on your part, really.’
Stella rolls her eyes again, it seemed to be a frequent occurrence today. ‘As it always seems to be.’
Stella ducks as Aisha throws a snowball Bloom’s way that she slides to avoid. ‘This training is starting to feel like a safety hazard.’
Beatrix smirks as she wiggles closer to Stella, claiming some of her warmth. ‘We can’t let that pretty face get ruined, huh?’
Stella’s cheeks flush and if Beatrix asks, she’ll blame it on the cold. ‘Careful, that almost sounded like a compliment.’
Beatrix shrugs, ‘Consider it your lucky day, I don’t throw them out often.’
Stella wets her lips and draws on more of her magic to warm their joined hands. ‘I don’t often deliberately catch them either.’
Beatrix raises a brow. ‘Good to know.’
They sit next to each other for a while, and Beatrix slowly pushes her face further into her stolen scarf, glaring when a strong breeze blows their way.
Eventually, the teachers realise that they all had no intention of training in the snow and call it a day, allowing them to head back into their cabins. Beatrix stands quicker than Stella can blink, rushing towards their shared cabin.
Stella laughs and follows behind her, watching as Beatrix immediately taps her foot against the ground, realising that Stella had the cabin key and she couldn’t get inside.
Stella pulls the key out of her pocket. ‘I have the key.’
Beatrix narrows her eyes and points at the door. ‘Open it.’
Stella laughs and slides the key into the lock and twists it, opening the door. She waves her hand inside, ‘The cabin awaits us.’
Beatrix stomps her way inside and promptly falls onto her bed. She grips the edge of her blanket and rolls in her bed, wrapping herself up in it.
Stella smiles and walks over to the bed, sitting on the edge of it. ‘Are you warm now?’
Beatrix huffs and pops her head out from under the blanket. ‘Tell anyone and I’ll kill you.’
Stella shakes her head and stands up from the bed. ‘I’m certain you will.’ She shuffles over to the kitchenette where a kettle and some hot cocoa supplies were located, seemingly complimentary as part of their visit. ‘Would you tolerate a hot cocoa?’
Beatrix makes a small grumbling sound from her position in bed and Stella takes that as a yes.
She makes two cups and once she’s done, she walks over to Beatrix’s bed and nudges her with her leg. ‘You can’t drink the cocoa from there.’
Beatrix sighs and sits up in the bed, letting the blanket fall around her. ‘I suppose you have some logic there.’ She reaches out and takes the cocoa from Stella’s hands.
Stella returns to her position on the bed and takes a sip of her own cocoa. ‘So, you really hate the cold?’
Beatrix takes another sip. ‘I find it both confining and unpleasant.’
Stella blows the steam off the top of her cup. It was something she could relate to. She was not so bothered by the cold but rather by the feeling of confinement the palace offered, even on the sunniest of days. ‘If you get too cold, just let me know. It will not take much to use my magic.’
Beatrix rubs her hands against her cup. ‘If there ends up being such a situation where I need your help, princess, perhaps I’ll let you know.’
Stella rolls her eyes and continues drinking her cocoa. It would be far too painful for Beatrix to say something as simple as thank you. Though, it was something that made Stella fond of her. It was rather amusing to watch her fumble around the words and say everything but them.
When they finish their cocoa, they decide to separate. Stella unpacks her luggage and pulls out a book, settling on reading it in bed.
Beatrix pulls out her phone and disappears under her blanket.
They spend the rest of the day like this, the only sounds being the occasional video Beatrix watches and a page-turning from Stella’s book.
Beatrix reluctantly removes herself from her warm bed to walk with Stella when the dinner bell rings. They lock the cabin behind them and head to the dining area where they’d be having their meals for the duration of the camp.
Stella grabs the most appetising-looking food from herself, a rather bland-looking pasta. She narrowed her eyes and the other items, finding them to look distinctly nothing like what the little card situated in front of them claimed.
As she eats, one of the water fairy teachers speaks. ‘We are glad to have you all on this camp.’ She walks to the centre of the room. ‘However, we have heard the news of a large snowstorm heading this way at around 2 am. We suggest you each gather some supplies from this dining hall in preparation.’
Preparation? Was she really implying they were going to be snowed in?
Stella shifts her gaze to look at Beatrix and notices that she’s gripping her fork that little bit too tight, it seems to almost bend.
Stella places her hand on Beatrix’s forearm. ‘We have both fire and water fairies, if we get snowed in, it’ll probably only be for an hour.’
Beatrix purses her lips. ‘You are beautifully naïve, princess. They wouldn’t be asking us to gather supplies if they thought it was to only be for an hour.’
Stella’s cheeks flush. Beautiful? Well, beautifully naïve… but, Stella would take the almost compliment. In some way, Beatrix had just called her beautiful.
The teacher continues to speak. ‘Dinner will end in thirty minutes so I suggest you start gathering your supplies now.’
Stella sighs. ‘It can’t be that bad, can it?’
Beatrix pats Stella’s arm and gathers her plate. ‘If I’ve learnt anything from studying at Alfea it’s that it’s always worse.’
Stella gulps. She’s not wrong. Stella remembers so many incidents where her teachers and even Ms Dowling had told them all that everything was fine. Then Saul was attacked by a Burned One.
She supposes the camp is a distraction from those things, a few moments of relaxation before the next terrible thing occurs.
She tries to shake off that thought but when she watches a large pack of supplies be placed in Beatrix’s arms, she finds she has several doubts.
Stella takes her plate up to be washed and joins the line, watching as Beatrix leans against the wall with her supplies in hand, likely having realised that Stella again was the one holding their cabin key.
The line moves quickly and Stella is handed the same package Beatrix received. A few cans of soup, some tea, various snacks and not a lot of real meals. She hopes it’s for a worst-case scenario and she won’t have to actually eat it.
Beatrix’s lips are turned down and she glares at the teachers. It seems she’s set on the idea that they will need to.
Stella walks to her side and they make quick work of getting back to their cabin and out of the cold.
They talk for a few hours about anything that pops into their minds before agreeing that it was better to sleep instead of listening to the way the cabin creaked under the pressure of the wind and snow.
When Stella wakes, Beatrix is sitting up in her bed glaring at the door.
She hops out of her bed. ‘Are we snowed in?’
Beatrix shrugs. ‘I haven’t checked.’
Stella laughs and rolls her eyes. ‘Then why are you glaring and the door like that?’
Beatrix pulls her blanket around her shoulders. ‘Because I’m certain we are.’
Well, there’s only one way to find out. Stella pulls on her lined crocs, which Beatrix equally glares at, and walks to the door. She places her hand on the freezing door handle and pulls.
She jumps back in panic as the snow starts falling through the door, giving her a glimpse of it sitting above the doorframe with no sign of sunlight.
She pushes against the door, securely closing it once more. She spins around with her back pressed to the door. ‘Perhaps we are a little snowed in.’
Beatrix buries herself further into her blankets. ‘A little.’
Stella looks down at the snow now sitting around her ankles. ‘A lot.’
Beatrix nods and waves towards herself with her hand. ‘Now come over here, you’re making me feel cold watching you stand in that.’
Stella starts walking over to her. ‘You’re not saying that because you don’t want me to be cold?’
For the first time on the trip, Stella watches as Beatrix’s cheeks turn slightly pink. ‘I wouldn’t go that far.’
Stella hops back into her bed, ‘Uh-huh, sure.’
She watches as Beatrix fidgets in her bed. ‘You don’t have to stay over there.’
Stella bites her lip. It sounds like Beatrix is asking her to join her in bed.
Beatrix seems to read her confused expression and elaborates. ‘Come over here.’
Stella feels her cheeks flush in the same way Beatrix’s are and reaches for her blanket, tugging it over to Beatrix’s bed. She sits on the edge of the bed with the blanket around her, unsure of what to do.
Beatrix wraps an arm around Stella’s waist and pulls her into the bed. ‘Join me in here.’
Stella leans into Beatrix’s side, smiling when Beatrix doesn’t pull away.
Perhaps what she’s feeling isn’t so one-sided.
She looks at the door and sighs. ‘What are we to do?’
She receives no answer and frowns, turning to look at Beatrix.
Beatrix’s eyes are narrowed and her body is stiff. ‘Beatrix? Are you alright?’
Beatrix swallows sharply. ‘I don’t like being locked in here.’
She knows she’ll likely be foolish for saying it, but it falls from her mouth, ‘With me?’
Beatrix shakes her head. ‘You may be the only thing keeping me from shouting about this.’
Stella shuffles closer. ‘I could say the same about you.’
Beatrix rests her head against Stella’s shoulder and reaches for her hand.
Stella tries to process the actions. Everything Beatrix was doing and saying made her heart beat that little bit faster and her cheeks flush. Her crush was becoming far more difficult to hide.
Still, she tries to keep it to herself. She hardly wanted to ruin their relationship. She climbs out of the bed and looks around, finding a few card games at the bottom of the package she’d collected.
Beatrix cranes her head from her position on the bed to see what Stella was holding. ‘What is it?’
‘A card game,’ Stella answers, flipping over the package and reading the rules. ‘It seems we are to place cards down and if a matching card type is placed on top of the previous, we hit our hand down on it.’
Beatrix smirks. ‘Well then, princess, prepare to lose.’
Stella rejoins Beatrix on the bed and places the first card, having split the deck in half between them.
Beatrix follows her action. No match.
They continue to game, both growing quicker and more intense as the game goes on. Beatrix places her card down and smacks her hand down, sending a few cards flying when she realises it’s a match. ‘Looks like that’s a point to me,’ she smirks and waits for Stella to place down the next card. ‘Prepare to lose.’
Stella narrows her eyes. ‘I don’t lose.’
Beatrix shrugs and drops her card. ‘There’s a first for everything.’
They continue the game and finally, Stella sees her chance, she places her matching card down and smacks her hand on it. Beatrix tries to beat her, smacking her hand on top of Stella’s.
Stella flushes at the touch. ‘Looks like a point to me.’
They pull apart and play a few more rounds. Eventually, Beatrix is in the lead with a score of 4-3 and they both agree that the fifth match will declare the winner.
They’re practically throwing cards onto the bed at this point, and their once neat pile is now a scattered mess. Beatrix places down the next card and Stella’s eyes widen as she smacks her hand down just a second too slow, and it lands on top of Beatrix’s.
Beatrix turns to look at Stella, a playful smile on her face. ‘We’ve got to stop meeting like this.’
Stella wets her lips. She couldn’t contain it any longer. ‘What if I want to keep meeting like this?’
Beatrix pulls her hand away and Stella wonders if she’s screwed up.
Beatrix is quick to answer that for her, and her hands slide up to Stella’s neck. ‘How else would you like to meet?’
A shaky breath falls from Stella’s lips. ‘I think you know the answer.’
Beatrix gently pulls Stella down, until their faces are inches apart. ‘Perhaps, but I’d like to hear you say it.’
Stella swallows sharply and looks down at Beatrix’s lips. ‘Kiss me.’
Beatrix’s cheeks flush and a smile takes over her face. ‘I can do that.’ She leans in and closes the distance.
Stella lifts up her hands and places them on Beatrix’s cheeks, rubbing her thumb against them. She sighs into the kiss and presses back, taking the lead.
Beatrix’s lips follow her’s and Beatrix places a hand on the small of Stella’s back, pulling her in closer. When they pull apart, Beatrix hums, ‘This was certainly warming.’
Stella moves one of her hands down to Beatrix’s neck. ‘I’m still cold.’
Beatrix smirks and leans in again. ‘How needy of you princess.’
They kiss until Stella is certain that every part of her body was warmed by the feeling of Beatrix’s touch. ‘I think I love you,’ she blurts.
Beatrix pulls back slightly and smiles. ‘Took you long enough.’
Stella blinks, ‘Wha- What?’
Beatrix presses a kiss to Stella’s forehead. ‘I love you too.’
Oh. Oh. Stella’s hands shake and a wide smile forms on her face. ‘I love you so much.’
Beatrix laughs and kisses her again.
They spend the rest of the day in each other’s arms and eat dinner of heated canned soup, which could have been far worse.
Eventually, the door swings open and the rest of their friends rush into the room, the snow finally having been melted by the fire and water fairies.
They laugh and assure them all that they’re okay.
When they leave the camp, it’s hand-in-hand with a different term to describe their relationship.
Girlfriend seemed to be far more fitting.