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Eve let out a deep relaxed sigh as she took another sip of her hot cocoa. All was quiet in the Annex. The LITs had all gone home for the night, Jenkins had retired to his quarters, Flynn was, well she'd rather not think about where her wayward Librarian was right now because worrying about his whereabouts would kill her rather zen mood. Snow had begun to fall from the sky so she had snuck off to the conservatory where she could watch it in the moonlight from the large bay window.

The steam from her mug fogged up a patch on the window so she absentmindedly brought her palm up to clear it away. While she was doing so, a large object suddenly flew past the window and fell to the ground. She let out a yelp of surprise as she jumped back from the window and some of her hot cocoa sloshed onto her hand. Shaking the hot liquid off her hand, she grabbed her jacket to run outside. Rounding the corner of the Annex at an inadvisable speed due to the snow and ice, she skidded to a halt at the scene that presented itself.

"What the- Flynn?"

Flynn jumped and turned around to face her, continuing to try to brush off the snow that had accumulated all over him due to his impact with the ground.

"Guardian," he winked at her, acting for all the world like he hadn't just fallen from the side of the building.

She rushed over to him, running her hands over him, searching for broken limbs, or at the very least some bumps and bruises. Thankfully finding none, she moved from worried to indignant.

"What. The. Hell," she punctuated each sharp word with a gentle shove, "are you doing?"

He grabbed her hands to stop them from colliding with the Annex, "Umm, decorating?" he offered sheepishly, motioning over his left shoulder.

Eve followed his movement and saw the ladder propped up against the Annex, and a string of Christmas lights that hung near it. One and a half windows had white lights strung around them until he had clearly lost his balance and fallen off the ladder.

"In a snow storm?" She asked incredulously. "Flynn, you could have been killed!"

"In my defense, it wasn't snowing when I started."

Eve closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "When did you even get back?"

"A few hours ago. I wanted to surprise you."

"Mission accomplished," she stepped closer to him and rested her forehead against his.

"I'm sorry," he wrapped his arms around her as the snow continued to fall around them. Flynn kissed her cheek, then her forehead before pulling her even closer to him.

She shivered in the cold night air as the dampness of his jacket hit her and she knew he must be freezing too. Despite the chill, she burrowed herself in closer to him. "Don't ever do that again," she murmured into his neck.

"I won't."

"I mean it. You're lucky you didn't get a concussion," she pulled back slightly do she could look him in the eye. "Scratch that, do something like that again and you will have a concussion," she said seriously.

Flynn tucked her hair behind her ear, "I promise I'll at least get you so you can hold the ladder for me."

Eve bit back her smile, "That is the least I can do as your Guardian."

Flynn hummed and pulled her back into his embrace.

"Flynn?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you, it's beautiful."

"You're welcome," he dropped a kiss to her temple and then blindly searched for her frozen hands with his own.

"Ready to go home? We can finish the lights tomorrow. Together," Eve emphasized. "When it's not snowing."

"Sounds like a plan. Maybe get the fireplace going tonight...?" He suggested.

"Mmmm. You read my mind," her lips ghosted against his own, the contact igniting a fire in her belly.

She could feel Flynn's grin against her lips as they moved back into the Annex as one and set the back door to go home. Eve certainly didn't expect her night to end this way, but with Flynn's chilled hand clasped in her own, and thoughts of a warm shower and falling asleep in front of a roaring fire in the arms of the man she loved, she couldn't complain.

~Fini~