Under Snowfall

 The streets were beautiful with snowflakes falling in between the cracks of the cobblestone. The newly fallen powder sparkled in the midday sun, and stuck in Katelyn's tightly wound up bun. She huffed at the colder air and drew herself even deeper into the warm undergarments of her armor. The loud merchants seemed disinterested with the cold, continuing with their advertisements of goods and products.

"Katelyn your hair looks paler than usual," Travis chuckled to himself and pulled his hand through the loose locks of hair resting on her shoulder, "The snow looks like crystals on you."

"Alright then casanova. Tone down the poetic language there," She stepped closer to him, trying to siphon off some of his fiery warmth. "Geez are you sure you're not a living furnace?"

"Pretty sure love," He looked over her and gave a disappointed noise, "Are you sure you aren't cold?"

She raised an eyebrow, "I'm a guard, why the hell would I let myself be cold? Seems impractical considering my line of work."

"Maybe because you're like any other person who gets cold?" He sighed and stepped back to take off his long coat, "Here take this."

"Don't you need that?" She shook her head in refusal, he was ridiculous sometimes.

He smiled wide, "Katelyn I used to bathe in ice water when I lived on Enki's Island, I don't get cold unless it's like, colder than all the layers of hell combined. Please, just wear it? I promise you'll be warm."

She sighed and let him wrap the suede and sheepskin coat around her shoulders. Although she wouldn't admit it, the material was comfortable and definitely warm. And it swamped her, the broad shoulders fell all around her body. Pulling herself back into a closer space between her and Travis, he pulled her next to himself, hip to hip, and rested his arm around her shoulders.

"You look very much at ease in that Katie," He looked around the market and rested his eyes on her, the green sparkling.

"I look miniscule in it you mean," She tilted her head up to peck his cheek, satisfied with the blush that quickly followed. "Thank you."

The white snow really was lovely, and she silently laughed at how she couldn't even see the flakes in Travis' hair or on his eyelashes. Instead it simply just disappeared into the mess of curls and frizz. They continued walking through the streets, steadily traveling towards the edge of the town and to the base of the mountains.

"So why are we going up the mountains again?"

"You said you wanted to get away from work at the academy right? At least for the season?"

Katelyn tugged at Travis' hair, watching the locks straighten to their full length then spring back to his head. "Well yeah, but I really shouldn't be away for too long. Just cause most of the students left for the break doesn't mean I don't still have plenty of work to do."

Travis jumped and climbed over a large boulder, then reached down and helped Katelyn up, "I'm sure the academy won't be destroyed while you're gone love."

She rolled her eyes and followed after him on the trail, "It could be though, besides I really only need about a day. I'll be fine you dork."

"I highly doubt that Blue, so I'll give you a choice: either come relax with me for a few days or I'll tease you mercilessly when you finally pass out," He grinned and walked off the worn path and into the trees, treading lightly on the fallen leaves and branches.

Katelyn copied his movements, keeping her steps as quiet as possible with her heavy armor. "Your idea of teasing is laughing at me for five minutes then passing out on my lap, so I see no repercussions from that option."