you're incredibly wicked

42: third quarter in virgo

Serena was taking a walk all alone, there was a chill that felt unfamilar as the chill tickled her senses, bringing her back to reality. Her nose ran and she wiped it away only for it to run away. Was she not bundled up enough? Her clothes were quite modest, ressembling those of tradition angelwear: a long dress that covered everywhere but her hands, gloves that were fuzzy like a polar bear, earmuffs, and large boots. 

The gardens had no more flowers, but rather emptiness. The sky as well had no stars either. What a pity, Serena loved to see the stars when she walked at night.

She wasn't walking all alone to clear her head this time, she was here to meet Nikolai. 

At the end of the gardens, Nikolai was there, toying with his wand just a little bit. He was bundled to the nines, making Serena look extremly underdressed in comparison.

"Are you sure that you're not freezing?" Nikolai tilted his head.

"Yes, I am quite sure that I am fine." She shivered a little later.

"You say one thing, but your body says another. It's obvious that you're quite cold."

"Well, I'm fine." She shivered again.

He took off one of his coats and wrapped it around her.

"You really don't have to do this for me, I'm serious."

"At this rate, we're practically inseperable."

They looked up at the other.

"Nikolai."

"Serena."

Their lips lead to the others and they kissed. As they kissed, white snow started to fall from the sky.

Serena took notice of the snow and put her hand out, a snowflake as delicate as glass fell in her palm.

"It's..."

"Snow. The first of the season."

"What is snow?"

"Snow is a weather pattern that happens when the temperature drops to a below freezing point. Think of it as rain, but colder and solid."

"Wow, it's so pretty." Serena sighed. "If we had weather in heaven like this, then life would be wonderous."

"But, you're here now."

"I am."

Nikolai wrapped his arms around her and a faint melody could be heard, sounding familar to a piano in the distance.

"Do you hear that?" Nikolai asked.

"I do. It's like a melody of a song."

"Glad to see that I'm not crazy." 

He extended his hand out to her.

"Would you do the honor of dancing with me?"

"My pleasure."

Together, the two danced in the night as the snow fell. What felt like seconds was many minutes as the snow set a scene for a romantic endevor beyond a wild dreamer's imagination. They danced together, and the snow soon started to pick up. 

By the time that they stopped dancing, the snow picked up to their ankles.

"The snow really did pick up, didn't it?" Serena looked down.

"It did. The first snow of the year is often heavier than most snowstorms."

"Why is that?"

"I'd say that it's bursting with excitement to come out to the world."

"It wants to come out to say hello and welcome in the colder weather. That's beautiful."

"The colder seasons bring people together. Bonds are made over warm tea, fireplaces, indoor chats and activites." Nikolai said, but seemed to be holding back some emotions.

"Those times are hard for you, I can tell."

Nikolai nodded.

"I had nobody truly for most of my life. Not even my home was warm and loving. Many holidays I spent in silence, alone and with no one. Why would anybody want to be near me?"

"Nikolai."

She buried her head in his chest and he played with her hair.

"But, I have you. I feel like I repeat myself when I say that you changed my life. My life before you was me just getting by everyday. Now, it's exciting. Being with you gives me reason, it gives me happiness. And you know, we're both getting used to the other still. It might take a while before I can fully let myself be me."

"I get that. I'm the same way too. It's hard for somebody to see all of me, every part. You know, I can be a handful. You're probably used to that."

Nikolai giggled and she giggled.

"I adore it."

"You don't have to sugarcoat things. You can be honest."

"Serena, I seriously mean it."

"Prove it."

Nikolai pulled her in and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"I adore every part about you. The parts that you aren't afraid to show and the parts that you're insecure about. All of you, one hundred percent of you."

"When you speak to me, when you play your guitar and sing songs for me, when you're across the room, every moment with you. I get starry eyed just being with you. I still see stars whenever you're around." Serena looked in his eyes.

"What do you see when you look in my eyes then?"

"In your eyes, I see many cosmos, there's stars running around your eyes. The sky that the clouds are blocking is in your eyes instead. It's wanderlust."

"And in your eyes, I see beauty. Like a clear body of water. Those eyes, they get me everytime. So blue, so enticing. I want to dive into your endless sea of serene."

Their breaths aligned and the chill of the snow cause their breath to turn white.

"What are you waiting for then?" Serena teased.

Nikolai kissed her by surprise and he led her into a trance of love. This was a wonderful night indeed. The passion started to burn bright and the symphony in the background only grew louder. A moment like this was one that was beautiful indeed. 

They were lost in each other. It was love.

It seemed as if nothing mattered but the two of them and the two alone. That night, they made snow angels together and experienced the joy of living life.

With love by your side, anything is possible.

At least for now, both of them were still denying how they truly felt.

"Nikolai, I wonder. What would life be like if we weren't soulmates?"

"It would be boring, lonely. The same everyday."

They held hands and watched the snow fall while they were in their snow angels that they made.

"You know, Nikolai.... there's been's something that I wanted to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I...." Serena stopped herself.

"Let me start that again, I never felt so free in my life. It's all thanks to you. I mean that from the bottom of my night. You make even the most bizarre of nights turn into something magical."