Ships Adrift in a Strong Tide

Snowfall

"Titus," Damian calls, and he takes the leash off the hook on the wall near the near the door.

Titus thumps his tail in reply, sitting obediently at the young man's feet. Damian clips the leash onto the Great Dane's collar and swings his apartment door open, locking it behind him as he pulls on his yellow and black jacket.

He stops at a small coffee shop that he likes because the red headed girl who works there doesn't flirt with him and she always gives Titus a treat. He orders two coffees, which the barista serves him with a knowing smile in two to-go cups.

Snow is falling so thick it looks like the sky, which is a unicolor gray sheet, is falling down piece by piece. Sounds are muffled and people are scarce. It's likely that the roads will close after very long, not that there any many cars out now.

Damian enters the Gotham University campus, as he's done at this time for about the past month, and he sits on the bench he's used to taking up. Titus sits in front of him, head bent against the wind, And Damian sets one coffee on the bench next to him so he can scratch Titus behind the ear.

Classes all let out at the same time, and students mill around him without giving him much thought. The benefit of being famous for your net worth instead of for your television show or movie or song is that people don't generally spot you in a crowd unless you draw attention to yourself.

The crowd thins as people leave and Titus begins to get anxious, but he is obedient and he simply stands in front of Damian.

He finds her in the swarm of students, dark hair curling gently down to her mid back, freckled with flakes of snow, a scarf thrown about her neck and hat pulled over her head, even though she needs neither, her jacket unzipped, revealing a brightly colored sweater. Boots scuffle over pavement as she weaves through people in her attempt to make her way over to them.

"Hi Titus, baby," Mar'i coos at the dog, who sits and thumps his tail, sending powdery snow over Damian's boots. She kneels in front of him and pets him, and, judging by how Titus scoots closer to her, she warms his body with a minor charge of energy to her fingers.

"Tt," Damian sulks, annoyed at being ignored in favor of Titus.

"Oh, hush, you," she says. When she glances up at him, her eyes sharpen with concern and her mouth twitches into a frown. "What are you doing, dressed like that?" she scolds.

"I am dressed perfectly fine for the weather," he tells her, rolling his eyes.

"Um, hat?" she prods. "Gloves? Honestly, Damian, it's like you want to get sick."

"Remind me again why it is I come here to meet you," he sulks as he stands, and he holds her coffee out for her.

"Because you love me?" she asks, grinning and she cups the drink between her hands, breathing in the smell of coffee.

"Hm," he answers.

"Fine," she pouts, "don't say it." She reaches into his hand, her fingers warm against his, and she snatches the leash from him. "I'll move out and I'm taking the dog. Titus loves me, don't you, baby?"

At the changed tone of her voice, Titus wags his tail happily and she sticks her tongue out at Damian. "He says he loves me."

"He wags his tail at Drake," he reminds her, surly. "I would not take it to heart."

"And now you doubt our love!" she wails.

Tired of this, Damian takes the wrist of the hand that's holding the leash and pulls her close to him. "I got you coffee," he points out.

"Oh, gee, you're right. Wagging tails is puppy-speak for 'I love you'; sulking and fetching coffee is Dami-speak for 'I love you'."

He sighs, a puff of his breath forming in front of his face, and he mumbles, "I love you."

"Hmmm," Mar'i hums, contemplating. "It's a start, I guess." She giggles at him when he glares at her and she laces her fingers through his, warming them to the point that Damian thinks that she may have had a point about gloves, and she says, "Love you, too." She stands on her tiptoes and presses a kiss against his lips. "Let's go home," she says, and she touches his cheek with her fingers and trails them down to the collar of his shirt. "Get you warmed up," she adds, a warm edge to her voice that makes the edges of his mouth quirk up a little.

He tightens his fingers around hers as she spins around, a whirl of dark hair and curls, and tugs him behind her.