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"I super promise that it's nothing nefarious, Kim. And absolutely nothing embarrassing."
Kim frowned. "Really. Do you swear?"
"I absolutely fucking pinkie swear, Kim. Cross my heart and hope to die."
Despite the emphatic assurance, Kim still looked unsure and slightly irritated. It probably had something to do with the fact that Harry had started the day with saying he had something to say, and then put it off several times until they finally stood in a silent corner of the garage at the end of a long shift, tired and hungry.
RHETORIC – Perhaps a bit more explanation would help him trust you? After all, your track record with secrecy hasn't been the best.
ELECTROCHEMISTRY – But that would ruin the surpriiiiiise! We want the thrill of seeing his eyes widen! We want him to think we're the coolest for coming up with this!
EMPATHY – The lieutenant doesn't like surprises, or secrets. You know that.
"Fine," Kim sighed. "All right, fine. If nothing else then to keep you from putting this off any longer."
ELECTROCHEMISTRY – That's kinda crappy, but I'll take it.
Harry looked around one final time. They were still doing their best to keep their dalliance a secret, even though he was sure at least some people were starting to suspect something. But the garage was empty and silent except for the two of them – perfect for his reveal.
"So." He lowered his voice to a half-whisper. "I have a plan. I wanted to do something fun. Something wintery. I mean, that's what people do, right?"
"People 'do'? In what sense?"
"You know. People who." Harry waved vaguely. "Date."
"Ah."
RHETORIC – He's not fond of that word. What you've been doing-
ELECTROCHEMISTRY – Fucking awesome sex-
RHETORIC – -isn't really dating, in his mind. Besides, teenagers date. You're hooking up at best.
Harry faltered a bit, then tried to soldier on. "So. I was thinking- you know the aquarium at the zoo?"
Kim's face immediately turned neutral. "The aquarium," he said levelly. "Are you sure, Harry?"
VOLITION – He was there. He was there when you read that letter. He saw the ticket stubs. He had to drag you to his MC and prop you up, make sure you weren't having a heart attack... of course he'd have reservations.
HALF LIGHT – Your plan. You had such a good plan and he hates it! He hates it because it sucks!
Harry wiped a few strands of hair from his suddenly sweaty face. "No, it's fine, I promise! It's just, they have this market thing, I looked it up. They- they decorate the tanks..."
PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT – Your hands are shaking. Why are they shaking? Stop that, you absolute pussy.
"Harry." Kim frowned and grabbed Harry's trembling hand to stop him from pulling at his hair again. "It's not that I don't appreciate the idea. But this seems like a bad choice, don't you think?"
Harry stared at him. Kim had that deep grove of worry between his eyes again, the one that showed up every time he had to witness another of Harry's meltdowns or frantic bouts of nervous energy.
HALF LIGHT – God, why does he even tolerate you? All you are is a burden.
VOLITION – You're not. He's worried about you, that's all. What if you have that same reaction again? Listen to him.
Harry let his shoulder slump and his hand go limp in Kim's grip. "Yeah. No. You're right, I shouldn't have- stupid."
Kim let go and sighed. "Harry. The idea wasn't stupid. It's just not... the right place." He patted Harry's chest a little awkwardly. "Let's... let's leave this. Eat something. And we can come back to it later, yes?"
All he could do was nod agreement and let himself be herded to the Kineema, then back to his flat.
Things got hectic after that, as they always seemed to. Harry tried his best to think of something fun or interesting to do with Kim, but he couldn't come up with a good alternative.
ENCYCLOPEDIA – You simply don't remember enough places, especially places that could be good to bring someone you want to impress. The ones you do have bad memories attached to them, or are too expensive.
A couple weeks later he'd all but forgotten about it. Winter was coming, and with it all the things that could go wrong – less outdoor crime but more indoors, domestic disturbances, traffic accidents, water pipes and plumbing bursting in the cold. It was as far away from a sexy and mysterious Mullen mystery you could get. He could feel himself sliding into a dull tiredness that was both familiar and terrifying.
Around lunch one day, Harry leaned back in the creaking chair and rubbed his eyes. It had been a tedious morning with several long interviews regarding a huge fight that had somehow involved at least forty people but at the same time managed to produce zero witnesses. As he looked up, the C-wing had suddenly gone quiet.
A coffee mug tapped against the desktop.
"Oh, thank fuck," Harry sighed.
"You're welcome." Kim took his own mug and sat on the desk.
Harry leaned back and took a long drag of the lukewarm brew. "What's next for today?"
Kim looked around. "It's fairly calm, finally. However, Mollins is sick with the flu and Tillbrook needed time off for a funeral, so we're short on patrol officers." He emptied his coffee cup and nodded towards the doors. "Why don't you and I walk a little?"
ESPRIT DE CORPS – It's been a long time since you walked the beat. Do you still know your streets?
"You know what? Let's do it."
When they left the station they were greeted by a gentle but steady snowfall. Harry stopped for a second to take in the subtle change from the morning's icy, sharp cold. It was a little warmer now, the lights dimmer and softer. Everything looked cleaner with the fresh layer of snow that hadn't been stained by soot or ground into slush yet.
INLAND EMPIRE – This is winter. It's hauntingly familiar and entirely new – you know spring, and summer, and autumn by now. But winter took you by surprise. The wet and freezing remnants of it you woke up to in March were nothing to this... the deep, calm cold. The stillness.
PERCEPTION – The world is quieter. Muffled. Your acute hearing picks up less sound because there's less of it; it's almost as if the world has gone into hibernation.
They left the precinct behind, hunched over in the snowfall with its roof already covered in a dusting of white, and turned down the road. As a deference to the weather, Kim had put on his patrol cloak. The two of them looked like a pair of crows carefully picking their way over the icy street. The further they got from the precinct, the further down Harry's shoulders descended. It was calming to just walk and talk and watch the world pass by.
VISUAL CALCULUS – There's a slight but noticeable change in the flow of foot traffic. More people walking the same way you are, choosing the same streets and alleys, all moving towards the same goal.
They followed the flow of people almost subconsciously. The calm silence changed into a muted murmur the closer they got towards the crater lake at the heart of Jamrock, and when they turned a corner, the source of it became apparent.
The lake shore wasn't empty and gray any longer, as it had been for weeks. Instead it was crowded with stalls and dotted with string lights, neon, candles and lanterns – all the ways a space could be lit up in the deep of winter. Harry's ears picked up the hum of a generator keeping cooking plates and electrical lights going, his nose the mingled smells of liquid carbon exhaust, food, warm stearin and burned sugar.
"What's going on?"
Kim adjusted his glasses. "There seems to be a market," he said airily. "Prime hunting grounds for pickpockets. Maybe we should take a few laps?"
"Yeah," Harry said, unable to take his eyes of the glittering lights. "Yeah, that's probably a really good idea, Kim."
As they approached the edge of the market they were greeted by a stand next to a couple of poles, holding a banner that said 'Jamrock Winter Market'. Underneath it stood a fold-out table with a short, round man with an immaculately trimmed moustache behind it, surrounded by a gaggle of children. He immediately stood up as they approached, plastering an accommodating grin on his face. Two of the bigger children immediately scattered. The youngest hid behind the table, only visible as a knitted cap and a pair of big, suspicious eyes.
"Officers! Come to keep the peace?"
EMPATHY – Please be here to keep the peace and nothing else, he thinks.
SAVOIR FAIRE – His eyes flit ever so quickly towards the metal box on the table. Entry fees, probably. He's wondering how much you'll charge, calculating how much it would take to have you leave or look the other way.
AUTHORITY – Is he gearing up to bribe you? How dare he suggest you're bribable! You should give him a piece of your mind!
SUGGESTION – No-no, be subtle! Don't cause a scene. Redirect to something more benign, perhaps?
Harry looked around. There was another stall just inside the impromptu gate, a big one with several covered pots and a huge ornate samovar perched in the middle, surrounded by an army of paper mugs. The scent from the pots promised something spicy and sugary. The proprietor was aimlessly rearranging the cups as she leaned in, trying not to look like she was listening.
"Just taking a little stroll." Harry nodded at the samovar. "Something warm would be nice?"
"Something- yes, of course! Ylva, give the officer something to warm him up, yes?"
The woman behind the stall immediately pulled the lid off one of the pots and ladled up a big cup full of steaming, dark maroon liquid. Harry took the cup and breathed in its fumes. It smelled tart and sweet and spicy, an unmistakeable, enticing scent of warm wine.
ENCYCLOPEDIA – That's glögg! They make it in Katla. Heated red wine with sugar, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ginger and bitter orange. It's often taken with raisins and almond and sipped on in special tiny cups. This one smells like it's pretty strong, too.
It definitely was. The sharp scent of spiced alcohol burned as he pulled it in a second time. Kim said nothing. His eyes roamed over the paper cups nonchalantly as if considering. Harry stared at the cup.
VOLITION – You shouldn't-
ELECTROCHEMISTRY – You should-
HALF LIGHT – If he-
COMPOSURE – It's too-
Kim nodded at the samovar. "Is there a non-alcoholic option? I'm on duty."
AUTHORITY – And so are you.
He wrestled with himself for a few seconds more – then, with a sigh, Harry put the mug back on the table and nodded. "Yeah, same. I'll have some of what he's having."
The woman looked a little confused, but took the mug back without comment. She replaced it with two filled from another pot, and added in some raisins before she pushed them over. Harry sniffed it. The smell was very similar, but without the overtones of alcohol. He took a little sip.
ELECTROCHEMISTRY – Fucking missed opportunity to try something amazing. But sure, enjoy your neutered sugar water, I guess.
PERCEPTION – You do, actually. It's delicious. It burns the tongue and heats you up from the inside out.
"All right then! Welcome, officers, and have a good evening!" The round little man beamed at them and waved them in without raising the question of an entry fee.
Kim sipped a little on his own brew as they passed into the market. "Good choice, detective," he murmured.
VOLITION – His approval warms you even more than the glögg.
There were several other stalls right inside the entrance selling food and sweets – nuts and raisins, jams, honey, cheeses, pickles, candied fruit, pierogi, cured meat and sausages. Word had apparently spread quickly about the RCM coming to visit, since more than one stall-owner waved them over to have them taste a free sample as they passed.
SUGGESTION – They're trying to butter you up. Nobody wants trouble, not today. A happy cop with a full belly won't bother to search for things to make a fuss over.
AUTHORITY – But your honour as a-
ELECTROCHEMISTRY – Oh, what's that? Your stomach growling because you haven't had lunch yet? It smells so good, though! And it feels good that people want to be friends with you, doesn't it?
It did feel good, no matter the reason. Harry accepted every little offering while chatting up the proprietors, filling his pockets with treats wrapped in greasy sandwich paper while Kim hung back and let him do the thing he was best at. There was a little shadow of a smile lingering on his lips as he watched Harry work. It stayed there as they walked deeper inside, a quiet encouragement to Harry recounting the story behind every treat through a mouthful of spicy dried sausage.
The market changed character the further in they went, shooting off little side-alleys to the big thoroughfare, each a little nook where people had set up more or less elaborate stalls selling bric-à-brac and home-made crafts. Other things, too. It wasn't hard to deduce why the man at the entrance had been so nervous; there was a healthy dose of black-market goods as well. Kim's free hands twitched a little.
EMPATHY – For his notebook. But his other hand holds a cup of free glögg, and it's a cold winter.
They walked past without commenting, leaving a feeling of relaxation in their wake. With the atmosphere so calm, they drifted apart a little and went to look at different thing for a while. A couple stalls down Harry found a vendor selling toys. It was an eclectic collection – some of it looked hand-made, some of it mass manufactured, and a lot of it was broken and carefully repaired. He scoured the shelves without knowing what he was looking for until something caught his eye: a box with a picture of a twenties style racer on the front.
ENCYCLOPEDIA – It's a model kit. Open it up and cut out all the pieces, then assemble a wood and metal model with glue and patience. This one is a cheap knock-off of the big ones they sell in the toy stores in La Delta, huge, complicated things like a 1/35 size replica of the Harnankur.
INTERFACING – But it looks like it has a lot of little fiddly bits, regardless. And pretty accurate to life too.
EMPATHY – Kim would love that!
HALF LIGHT – Would he accept it, though? Would it be weird? It would be weird, he'd think it was too much, remember what he thought about the date idea!
RHETORIC – Gift doesn’t necessarily mean date. It can mean friend, if you want it to.
"How much for that one?"
The owner got up and took the box down. "Oh, you like that sort of thing, yeah? Build a good few of these for myself, I must say. That'll put you back nine reál, how about that?"
SAVOIR FAIRE – That's... pretty much what you can afford if you want to be able to eat tomorrow. You've fallen behind on your hustling, superstar.
EMPATHY – But think of the look in his eyes! He loves racing, you know that.
Harry hesitated, then hastily started to dig around in his pockets for any loose change before he could think more about it. The owner chatted happily about the kit and how he once built a scale model of the Advesperascit opera house, all while wrapping Harry's purchase in a piece of old newspaper to keep it from getting scratched.
With the gift safely stored in an inside pocket, Harry stuffed a piece of salmon and spinach pierogi in his mouth and went to catch up with Kim. He was standing at a table piled high with knitwear, nodding as the owner pointed out something on a pair of woollen mittens. They were very pretty – creamy white with black stars on the back of the hand. Kim held them up as Harry approached.
"There you are. These would fit with your ushanka, wouldn't they?"
CONCEPTUALISATION – They'd fit perfectly! You'd match!
Harry carefully wiped pierogi crumbs from his hands and took the mittens. The yarn was soft and warm, the knitting even. As he pulled them on, he realised that they were more cleverly made than he'd first thought. The inside was a pair of fingerless gloves, with the mitten part made to be folded over if you needed to manipulate something. They sat snug but not too tight on his hands, like a little light handshake.
MAZOVIAN MITTENS – Hello there. Your hands get cold on days like these, don't they? All that smoking is bad for the circulation. I can keep you warm.
He flexed his fingers. It was a perfect design, and so pretty. "They would, yeah..."
The stall owner nodded proudly. "Just your size, too. Only 15 reál."
LOGIC – Payday is Monday. That was your last reál you spent on the racer.
SAVOIR FAIRE – You could steal them!
MAZOVIAN MITTENS – You could – but what would that say about you as a comrade, huh? Stealing from a fellow worker, for shame!
Kim waited patiently. When Harry pulled the mittens off and carefully put them down, he frowned a little but didn't comment.
They continued slowly along the stalls, nodding at the owners, nibbling on their treats and stopping to chat here and there. The market wasn't just stalls and vendors – they could see a fenced off area where people sold live birds and fresh fish, and opposite that an old but infinitely patient pony that went around in circles with kids on its back. The big thoroughfare had shooting games and lotteries where you could win badly made plushies and bags of 5 centim bonbons. In the very middle people had cleared a spot for a little impromptu scene made of crates and pallets. Most of it was occupied by a band playing Igaunijan folk songs.
INLAND EMPIRE – You must have known about this. But it was washed away in the deluge. Why did you want to forget something like this? Did you forget how good life can be, sometimes?
PERCEPTION – Laughter and muted conversation, screams and whispers...
SHIVERS - A child who has never ridden before cries until her father lifts her from the pony and holds her tightly. Down by the lake shore, an ice-fisher lowers a crayfish trap into the rainbow-hued water. A drunk sits in the lee of a stall, warming himself with a spruce schnapps-
Kim stopped. "Oh, I remembered something I wanted to ask that knitwear seller. Wait here for me, will you?"
Harry stomped a little to get rid of the cold chills, then amused himself by eating the last of the cheese and listening to the band while he waited. They weren't half bad. Some people were dancing. The air was filled with a calm but excited sort of atmosphere, something that lingered in the snowflakes and in every scent and sound.
When Kim returned, they followed the thoroughfare until the market petered out towards the edge of the lake. The last tables and stalls gave way to a little slope where kids were careening down on pieces of cardboard, plastic bags and the occasional sled, and then to the shoreline. And old man was lounging close to a fire basket with a big tarpaulin stretched out beside him all covered in skates of different sizes and makes. He made a lazy little salute as Harry and Kim approached.
"It seems you can rent skates here," Kim said. "Have you ever skated?"
PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT – Have you ever skated, he asks. Of course you've skated! You're a god on the ice, bandy club in hand, tackling people as you race towards the goal!
"Oh, I've spent a fair bit of time on the ice, actually," Harry replied, trying to sound modest. "You?"
Kim made a little so-so motion with his free hand. "There used to be ice skating in the harbour. Between the breakers where the cargo ships don't run. I, ah... I never participated. But I did skate a little in my youth."
SAVOIR FAIRE – Get out there! Show him some cool moves!
LOGIC – Your pockets are still empty of any way to pay for it, by the way.
As if he could read Harry's thoughts, Kim pulled out his wallet. "Allow me."
He dropped a few coins into the old man's box and picked out a pair of skates. Harry scanned the rows, looking for a pair that seemed whole and in his size. After considering and discarding a pair of white, delicate figure skates, he found a sturdy pair of brown bandy skates, complete with a fleece lining.
PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT – Your fingers know exactly how to tighten the laces, how to hook and pull so that the skates sit firmly but not too tight – an extension of your feet.
When he was done, Harry threw a glance at Kim. He was still tying his skates, much slower and less confident than Harry had been.
PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT – Pfff. He's doing it wrong. His ankles will collapse the moment he's on the ice.
Kim looked up and locked eyes with him. "Did you have something to say?"
Harry hesitated. Kim raised one eyebrow.
AUTHORITY – He likes it when you bite back. When you show your competence.
"Actually, yeah." Harry sank down on one knee and took the back of Kim's ankle. "You're gonna hurt yourself like that. I can help you lace these better."
Looking up at Kim, with the soft glow of the market behind him – there was something in his eyes: curious and a little wary, something that had very little to do with skates.
ELECTROCHEMISTRY – Always on your knees, aren't you. Every time with him-
INLAND EMPIRE – His face is a window into something terrifying. Something enormous. Something that will break you and remake you.
Kim gave him a little wave as if to say, go on, then. Impress me.
With a triumphant grin, Harry took his time with putting the skates on just right. Partly because he wanted to make sure it was done right, but partly because it felt so good and right kneeling like this, using all of his knowledge and skill to serve Kim.
ELECTROCHEMISTRY – Told you.
The lights surrounding the market stopped well above the waterline, but there were five or six fire baskets dotted in a semicircle out on the ice. Someone had set up a boombox and a pair of speakers. Most people kept close to the shore, skating within the circle of light and music, but a little gaggle of teenagers took longer loops out into the darkness and back, chasing each other and laughing. As soon as he was satisfied with Kim's skates, Harry pulled him out onto the ice and into the crowd.
They made a few careful passes to begin with. It only took a few moments for his body to remember how to do it: hold your body like so to keep the balance, angle your feet like this, your arms like that... within minutes he was doing little backwards swoops and sharp stops. Kim tried to do the same with a look of intense concentration on his face.
SAVOIR FAIRE – He's not bad. Not as secure as you, obviously, but no amateur either.
They took longer and longer loops, daring to go past the lights and out onto the uncleared ice. The snow lay in a thick, powdery layer, hiding treacherous cracks and bumps that forced them to slow their pace to a crawl. The further they got from the shore, the harder it got to navigate.
ENCYCLOPEDIA – There was a meteor strike here, millions of years ago. It killed off an age and caused a winter that lasted decades. Eventually, life returned; the hole filled with life-giving water at the same time the delta formed. People say the lake used to deep freeze in the winter. Nowadays the warmer temperatures and the industrial run-off keep part of it liquid at all times.
INLAND EMPIRE - All you can see if the life around you, the great city surrounding this little circular anomaly. The ice creaks underneath your weight. It sings, deep, a basso profundo call to the ocean beyond. Somewhere down there there are still fish, swimming in the nearly freezing water. In and out of motorcars dumped years ago, blind and sluggish; mutated things that shouldn't be able to survive. And something bigger. Something older. Something that will consume everything.
Kim was falling back a little, struggling to navigate the more uneven surface.
SAVOIR FAIRE – Race him! Race him but don't let him win, not unless he does it outright.
Harry nodded towards the shore. "First one back?"
"Oh, really." There was the faintest gleam as the edge of Kim's glasses caught the light – then he was off.
PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT – Oh, foul!
"Kim, you fucking-"
Harry dug the edge of his skates into the ice and lunged forward. Kim was a good ten meters ahead already, but he wasn't very fast – the uneven ice made his strides short. Harry was gaining already despite the insistent twinges in his leg.
PAIN THRESHOLD – The cold isn't doing you any favours there. Despite how you try to ignore it, it hurts in the morning.
The moment the ice became smoother again, Kim's strides became more confident – but so did Harry's. A couple of the teenagers jumped out of the way, laughing and swearing at them as they careened past.
"Keep up, Harry!"
PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT – Push yourself, push yourself! You can't let that noodly bino win!
Harry managed to overtake him on the last five metres, skidding to a halt that sprayed ice shavings over one of the fire baskets – and then almost toppled over, missing the blaze by a gnat's wing as he planted himself ass first in the snow.
SAVOIR FAIRE – Oops.
"Still got it, Kim!"
Kim made his own, much more dignified stop and held his hand out. Harry took it, scrambled up and wiped the snow from his trousers with a huge grin, then held his hand up for an Ace's High. Without hesitation, Kim slapped it, then held his own hand out for an Ace's Low. Harry let it connect with a crack.
"It seems we do," Kim replied with a smile.
The chatted a little while changing back into their boots. Afterwards, instead of walking back trough the stalls, they continued along the shoreline and up a creaking wooden stair that ran up the edge of the crater, zig-zaging and doubling back several times before it reached the top. A row of revolution era concrete machine gun nests sat grafted into the stone about halfway up. A couple of them still had their roofs, and each had been fitted with a bench and a waste basket in some fit of civil clean-up. Every nest was covered in a thick layer of graffitio and posters, layers upon layers of it like geological strata. They walked along the railing to the one on the very end where they could watch the market from above.
Harry leaned on the railing. From up here, he couldn't make out much more than glittering lights and crowds, and the stage in the centre with its music drifting across the frozen water.
EMPATHY – It's perfect, isn't it? Too perfect to be a coincidence. He had an idea, after you came up with your worse one.
He glanced at Kim. "It wasn't a coincidence, was it? Us walking the beat today. Coming this way."
"I might have thought about something like this, yes." Kim adjusted his glasses. "Your idea about the zoo... But I was curious if Jamrock had something similar. I asked around."
VOLITION – He knows it's important to you. This, doing normal things... feeling like you can spend time with him outside of work. Being human.
"Hey," Harry said and tried to clear his throat so that he wouldn't blabber out something stupid. "Um. I don't know if this is weird, but- gimme a second."
He retreated into the nest, got out his flashlight and hung it on a piece of rebar jutting from the concrete roof. Kim blinked a little in the sudden light. Harry fumbled the little package from inside his coat. It stuck on the lining and ripped a little as he tried to pull it free, but he managed to get it out and held it out to Kim.
EMPATHY – He’s trying not to laugh. You must be endearing in your ineptitude.
The taut lines of Kim's hidden smile grew deeper as he freed the box from its sloppy packaging. Harry waited nervously as he turned it over, looking at the box in the light, then opened it to look at the neatly arranged pieces inside.
"Harry," he said softly. "It's very nice. I'll enjoy putting it together." He wrapped the box back up, then took out a similar package from his own pocket. "And... I'm glad I decided to go back for these."
EMPATHY – He doesn't like to be beholden to anyone. Or for you to be to him.
Kim's package was much more neatly made, with a little yarn bow keeping it closed. Harry opened it as carefully as he could.
MAZOVIAN MITTENS – Oh! How nice to see you again.
COMPOSURE – Hey, no no no... you're not going to cry.
Harry swallowed the sudden lump on his throat and slid the mittens back on. They fit just as perfectly as before, warm and snug on his chilled fingers. For the second time, he had to clear his throat of treacherous words and replace them with something simple.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome," Kim said with a satisfied nod. "They look good on you."
Harry sat down and turned the flashlight off again. In the darkness, Kim sat down beside him, close and intimate. They sat in silence for a while, together side by side while the snow fell silently outside the nest. Jamrock lay stretched out in front of them with the lake a black, lightless hole before the vast ghetto climbed up its sides and continued in every direction. Beyond that... the city, growing and growing until it got lost in the snow haze.
Kim shuddered suddenly. Harry immediately put an arm around him, pressing him closer against his side. There was a short moment of resistance – then he relaxed.
SUGGESTION – You should kiss him.
HALF LIGHT – In public? He'll have your hide! You'll never hear the end of it!
ELECTROCHEMISTRY – Come the fuck on! What's the big deal, he's fucked you already! Twice!
COMPOSURE – Sure, but you haven't done this.
SUGGESTION – Just ask, like a normal person.
Harry slowly stroked Kim's arm through the cloak, feeling the rest of the tension disappear. "Hey," he whispered. "Can I kiss you?"
PERCEPTION – He looks around. The walls and the roof conceal you from the world just like they must have done for the gunners. You're obscured here, unseen but able to see everything. Everything is quiet again.
SHIVERS – Right now, this place is yours and yours alone.
"... yes."
Harry let out a long sigh, then leaned in and took a deep breath from below Kim's ear.
EMPATHY – A little shiver. Your nose is cold.
ELECTROCHEMISTRY – He's made you shiver before. That you could do the same to him is nothing short of amazing.
PERCEPTION – The same traces of his aftershave, his hours tending to his beloved machine... and yet, you know his other scents now.
Harry pulled his hand up from Kim's shoulder to his neck and took another deep breath, savouring the wintery, warm sensation of an animal in the cold. Then he slowly let his lips drift along the jawbone, following the soft line until they met with Kim's.
PERCEPTION – The stubble of his moustache tickles on your upper lip. It must be worse for him, with your whiskers. He breathes into your mouth, the smoke of his breath mingling with yours as you taste him in darkness, muted city sounds in your ears.
ELECTROCHEMISTRY – He turns towards you and kisses you back, slowly... learning how you do this at the same time you are. A little tongue, a little teeth.
DRAMA - 'tis awkward. 'tis amateurish.
EMPATHY – It's perfect.
Outside the foxhole, the snow fell heavy, covering Jamrock – sputtering in fire baskets and melting in mugs of hot tea. Inside of it there was nothing but two bodies intertwined, sharing the same space and the same breath, for a few stolen seconds.