When Winter Falls

bonus. this is us every year

THEM

"You never told me, you know." Lance commented, sliding one of her books back into the empty spot lying in between her two favorites - Stay and Beat It. When she didn't reply, a little caught up in thought, Lance prompted, "Jules."

"Huh?" She looked up, biting her lip. Ever since she'd confessed to him, Julia was a bundle of nerves around him. A part of her buzzed with questions - How? How did she manage to actually tell him? - and her other self wanted to just hug him tightly. Maybe forever. "Sorry," she sighed, sheepishly.

Lance knew the effect he had on her. In fact, he was so comfortable about it that he went on and on about it. "Julia, I asked you about Ezra Redd's story." He murmured, stroking her hair, at which she closed her eyes and subconsciously leant closer to him.

"What about it?"

"Why do you like it so much? I really want to know, love."

She smiled softly. "It's actually quite a hilarious story, Grey," she started, tracing the worn edges of the poetry chapbook she'd been working on that was filled with cheesy comments scribbled onto post-its stuck by him. "So, there's this guy, alright? Dom's character?"

"Lake Something, yeah." He nodded, gently nestling his head onto her lap as she ran her fingers through his hair repeatedly - a gesture that soothed him to no end.

"Lake Inkheart, genius. But, yeah, him. He sees this one girl - it's not a romantic story, by the way, don't get your hopes up high - every single year. Ever since he turned ten, but he doesn't make much of it. Until a series of things happen in his life that makes him realize that everything happens for a reason."

"I have no idea where you're going with this, sweetheart."

"Don't call me sweetheart, Taylors."

"Baby?"

"Do I look like a baby to you?"

There was a pause. A pause that made her annoyed because, first of all, he was getting diverted from the topic at hand and, second of all, she knew he was going to say -

"- yes?" His voice raised at the end of the word and so did her hand, to hit the back of his head playfully. He chuckled, "Please continue, love."

She didn't stray. "And then comes that time of the year when she's just there all of a sudden. And when she's gone, he tries to look for her."

"Tries to look for her." He repeated, unamused. "How are they making this into a TV show again?"

"God knows. It fares off better as two movies, to be honest. But," she shot him a glare, "that is completely besides the point. There are times where he actually ends up getting glimpses of her during his journey to find her, but he's never actually able to reach her. And when he's on this - how do I put it -"

"Journey?"

"- journey, yes. He discovers himself. It's a way of telling him that he's been the same every year, living up to things that he doesn't really want to be, and just existing. Thus, the title."

"But, it says This Is Us Every Year."

"Details, details!"

"Julia."

"Lance." They had a short staring contest, before Lance sneezed, causing her to chuckle. "Yeah, alright, so, Lake finally comes to a conclusion that he's been the same every single year and he takes it as an opportunity to be who he really is. Live life, you know? The book ends - no spoilers, thanks to the fact that you don't really read much - with Lake giving this whole inspirational speech that you should keep trying new things, and that this has been 'us'" - she single quoted -" every year, but it shouldn't be. And he sees the girl, Ronan Hunt, she hugs him and tells him that she's actually the spirit of change. It's beautiful."

"Change is beautiful." Lance concluded for her and she nodded, smiling, meeting his eyes. Snowflakes gently wavered onto the warm brown earth, almost-white grey eyes slowly moulding with brown eyes, "I love you, Jules."

"I love you, too, Grey." And that's when she realized that more than him wanting to know why she loved that book, he wanted to listen to her voice.   

A little something because I haven't written the epilogue yet! Also, anyone wants a little spin-off series for Dom, Dan or Kota? Or even the expansion of Stay, Beat It and This Is Us Every Year [nope, they're not real books, but I could make them real]?