Chapter Text
Freezing wind howls around the tent as the two souls inside sit around a geomarrow stove, gloved hands held up to the burning orange ore.
The biting chill climbs through Pela’s arms, creeping through her ears and crawling down her neck. Though her hands are practically on top of the golden rocks, her fingers still shiver uncontrollably.
“Is..is it always this c-cold out here?” Pela stammers out through chattering teeth.
Lynx gives her an apologetic smile. “Sorry about this, but this sort of temperature is a given. If anything, it only gets colder.”
Pela groans, scooting closer to the stove. “Great. Just great.”
Lynx hesitates for a moment, but eventually speaks up. “Here, take these.”
She pulls off her gloves and her scarf, and starts wrapping them around Pela’s trembling hands and neck.
Pela brightens up immediately, but pulls back after just a second. “Wait, really? Won't you be freezing?”
Lynx gives a slight shake of the head, tying the scarf around Pela’s neck. “I'll be fine. It's not like it's the first time I've gone without them. Anyway, I need my hands free for this.”
Pela sighs in satisfaction as she's wrapped in a second pair of gloves and another scarf, both of which are still warm from Lynx’s residual body heat, and the shaking of her hands begins to die down. Only then does she register the words. “Wait, what's ‘this’?”
From a large camping bag, Lynx pulls out a metal mug and a shining slate-gray packet. “Something you'll love.” She grabs a jug of water, placing it next to the geomarrow before ripping open the packet and dumping out the insides into the cup. It's some kind of dark-colored powder. Pela’s eyes light up.
“Coffee?”
Lynx gives a short laugh. “No, no silly. Something far better.”
The sentence sends Pela’s mind reeling. Better than coffee, the catalyst of all life? Was there anything that could match the bitter taste, the rush of caffeine through her veins? What could it possibly be? Did such a thing even exist? She pouts at Lynx. “Just tell me already!”
Lynx, for her part, is enjoying Pela’s bewildered expression far too much, taunting her and chuckling. “Oh? But where’s the fun in that?” She winks at the intelligence officer, beginning to pour the heated water into the cup.
Pela gives an annoyed ‘hmph!’, turning away from the explorer. She returns her attention to the manuscript next to her, containing her 23,000 word fanfiction of her favorite book series. She’s just started to think of the next paragraph to write when a smell fills the tent.
An absolutely delicious smell.
Her head snaps back up to the cup that Lynx is gently stirring, eyeing the steaming brown liquid inside. Whatever that is, Pela needs it, and she needs it now. Unconsciously, she holds out a hand.
Lynx laughs as she places the mug into Pela’s thoroughly smothered hands. Even through all the layers of thick cloth, she feels the warmth of the cup seeping through, and she stops trembling entirely. Her eyes widen as she inhales the bittersweet scent of the drink wafting through the air, her heartbeat picking up from the anticipation, glasses misting from the steam.
Then, she takes a sip.
Her mouth explodes with comforting heat, divine flavor and a wonderfully smooth texture. The liquid warms her from inside, with a taste that isn’t overly sweet, yet has a touch of bitterness, along with a creaminess that coats her tongue. It’s incredible. She takes another sip. Then another. She lets out a contented breath.
“It really is better than coffee...” she murmurs.
Lynx watches her undergo this life-changing revelation, ice-colored eyes twinkling amusedly. “So? How're you liking hot chocolate?”
Pela looks at Lynx with wide eyes. She doesn’t say anything, instead taking another long slurp of the drink, finishing it off with a satisfied huff. Lynx laughs, then shudders involuntarily, stuffing her hands into her coat.
Abruptly, Pela realizes that Lynx is shivering.
With a yelp, she drops the now-empty cup, and scrambles out of her blanket, hurriedly dragging it to Lynx’s side of the tent, wrapping their hands together. “I'm sorry! I didn't notice you-”
Lynx giggles before headbutting Pela gently, deep blue irises still wide with concern. “I’m fine, calm down. The look on your face after drinking was worth the cold.” She slides over to sit next to Pela. “Still, let's stay like this for a while, yeah?” She leans into Pela’s side, resting her weight on the officer, closing her eyes.
Pela blushes slightly, but rests her head on Lynx’s right after. “Yeah…I wouldn’t mind.” She says quietly. Slowly, she pulls the discarded blanket around the both of them, pulling it tight around Lynx’s small frame. When Lynx suddenly pushes against Pela, snuggling close, her heartbeat picks up for reasons entirely unrelated to hot chocolate.
Feeling Lynx’s warmth against her side, holding her bare hands (albeit through an inordinate amount of layers of cloth), basking in the texture of her hair, and watching the steady rise and fall of her chest, Pela feels something new.
An unfamiliar heat in her body, it fills her with a different kind of warmth. Deep in her chest, it's like a spark of light has flickered into existence in her heart. It’s enough to melt away the ice shrouding her fingers, to drive away the cold lingering on her ears. Only then does Pela think.
'Is this love?’ she wonders.
Under a starry sky, two souls share their warmth amidst the frigid gales of the Eternal Freeze. Cast in the golden glow of the geomarrow, their heads are close, and their hearts closer.