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"And it's like snow at the beach
Weird, but fuckin' beautiful
Flying in a dream
Stars by the pocketful
You wanting me
Tonight feels impossible"
"Hey," Kit calls out. She nudges Eclipse's flank with her foot, edging him forward faster. She pulls him up alongside Jade's horse, now that there's space to ride side-by-side. "What're you looking at?" She cranes her neck to try and get a better look at the paper that Jade seems entranced by. Before she can even attempt to see if the black scrawl is words or pictures, though, Jade has it folded and tucked into the bag that hangs off her saddle.
“Don’t worry about it.” Jade flashes Kit a grin that seems so much wider and freer out here in the (albeit-freaking freezing) expanse of hills beyond the castle walls. Kit knows that Jade is happy enough back in Tir Asleen with new, fulfilling responsibilities and a bed for her to sneak into beside Kit each night. But she’s more at home in the wind and wandering hills. In the casual trot of their horses on the far side of the Mother’s Gate.
Jade’s grin shifts into something more devious. “Do you trust me?”
“Enough to jump off a cliff after you,” Kit responds.
“If I recall correctly, it was me who jumped after you.”
“One day I’ll have the opportunity to return the favor.” Kit flashes her winning smile, the one she knows Jade loves.
“Or we can avoid jumping off cliffs. Once is plenty enough for me. So, you trust me?”
“Obviously.” Kit rolls her eyes.
“Then, try and catch me,” Jade laughs. Her words trail back to Kit on the wind as she nudges her horse into a gallop.
It takes Kit’s brain a moment to catch up with what’s just happened, but the moment she does, she’s urging Eclipse into a fast gallop after her girl. The cold wind whips against them, drawing tears from Kit’s eyes that seem to nearly freeze on her face. Her vision is blurry, Jade but a smudge of red in the distance until they reach what must have been Jade’s destination.
They’ve reached the shore of a lake so large that the opposite shore is just barely visible in the distance. Kit pulls Eclipse back into a slow trot, his hooves kicking up the soft sand on the beach. She follows Jade’s lead and dismounts.
“What’s this?” Kit asks, pulling her cloak tight around her in an attempt to curb the chill running down her spine. She steps up beside Jade and looks out over the marvelously crystalline lake in front of them.
“I saw it on the map,” Jade explains. “The Mirrored Lake. I thought maybe a detour might be nice. We’re not far from the Wildwood now, and I’m sure Scorpia will want to steal me away from you for a bit.”
“It is,” Kit nods, “Nice.” She slips a gloved hand into Jade’s and squeezes. “The water is almost mirror-like.” She can see the reflection of them nearly perfectly in front of her. She can see them there, side-by-side, cheeks pink from the cold. She can see when Jade turns away from admiring the water to admiring Kit’s profile.
“I love you,” Jade says at the moment Kit feels something cold and soft fall on her cheek. Jade’s gloved hand curls around Kit’s jaw and her thumb swipes over the spot. “Snow.”
“Snow?” Kit asks. She looks around them and sure enough, a delicate array of flakes have started to descend from the grey sky above.
“On the beach of all places,” Jade laughs.
Kit shifts so that she’s facing Jade and watches the puffs of air that come with each laugh out of her favorite person’s mouth. “I love you too,” she says. And, because she can.
She kisses her.