Author's Note: konnichiwa!

Haven't done a Tales of the Abyss fic in a while…been mainly doing Tales of Destiny or Shadow of the Colossus ones…

In any case, I've found some inspiration to write one!

…actually, I don't know HOW I got this one started…

Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy!

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The Roneal Mountain chain was a beautiful place full of natural wonder and beauty, the pride of Ketterberg and its tourism industry. It was late afternoon, the sun casting a golden hue against the mountain range, the wind spraying snow down from the icy peaks down to the frozen ground below. To all who could see, it seemed like a picture-perfect scene. However…

"Argh! We've already been here! We're going around in circles!!" the angry voice of Luke fon Fabre rang out through the otherwise tranquil surroundings. Angrily, he pointed at Jade. "I thought you knew where we were going!"

The group was heading for Ketterberg, returning from Mount Roneal…or, at least trying to. A few wrong turns here, a few misguided directions there, and lo and behold, they were lost.

Jade pushed his glasses up farther onto his face. "I suppose we should have taken a left at those frozen trees…" he mused casually.

Luke groaned. "You mean you don't know where we are either!?" he exclaimed.

"Please keep your voice down, Luke. You're going to start an avalanche."

"What did you say?!"

"Luke, please!" Tear cut in. "There's no point in arguing about it now."

"Yeah, Tear's right. Besides, we've got more important things to worry about." Guy added.

"What do you mean?" Natalia asked, concerned.

"It's getting late. We should start looking around for a place to set up camp." Guy explained.

"Oooh, out in the cold?!" Anise whined. "Aren't we gonna freeze??"

"Well, we won't if we hurry, and it's not like we have a choice in the matter." Jade said, shrugging. When Luke gave him a look, he added, "Oh, come now, Luke. Think of it as a camping trip."

So the group split up a bit, searching for a suitable camping space amidst the snow. After a while of searching, Guy called out, "Hey, I found a place!!"

"A cave?! Guy, surely you can do better??" Natalia pleaded, not wanting to spend the night in a cave.

"It will have to do for now." Jade said simply.

"The Colonel's right." Tear agreed. "Let's get some wood and build a fire before we freeze."

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Tear was sitting at the entrance of the cave, keeping watch. After having a short supper, Guy and Jade went off to scout the area for a way out, leaving Luke, Natalia, Anise, and herself to look after the camp. Natalia and Anise were by the fire, long asleep, wrapped in blankets (and, in Anise's case, an enlarged Tokunaga). Tear herself was wrapped in a blanket, though it was chilled from the wind.

"They're not back yet?" Luke asked, walking over to Tear. He was wrapped in his own blanket.

Tear shook her head. "No. They should be back soon…" she said, though wasn't sure herself; it WAS pretty late out. The sun was already almost set.

The wind howled again, chilling the both of them. "W-Why don't you go get some sleep?" Luke asked. "I could take over watch and wait for them…"

"No, it's okay" Tear said. "I'm all right."

"Are you sure? You look cold." Luke said, concerned, but Tear just shook her head.

"I'm all right…" she said, turning away. The wind howled again, and she tried fruitlessly to suppress a shiver.

"…!!" Tear was shocked to feel sudden warmth around her shoulders. She looked up to see Luke wrapping his blanket around her own.

"Mine's been by the fire. You can take it" he said, smiling a bit.

"Oh…T-Thank you…" Tear said, looking away as she blushed a bit.

"…" both fell silent.

"Well…I'm gonna head back in, if you're all right." Luke said quickly, turning to go back in.

"Um…Luke?" Tear called.

"Hmm?" Luke asked, turning around.

"…You can…sit with me if you want…"

"…" Luke blinked, scratching behind his head. "Um…okay," he said, going over to her and sitting down next to her. Tear offered him some of the blankets, which he accepted.

"…" both fell silent again. Behind them, the fire crackled and popped.

"…It's a nice night, huh?" Luke asked, trying to make conversation.

Tear nodded. "Yes, it is. Not many people get to see sights like these."

"Yeah, I know…" Luke said, looking up at the sky. "Kinda makes you almost forget about all that's happened…about all that's gonna happen…"

"...These are hard times, Luke." Tear said.

Luke nodded. "I know. It's not gonna get any easier from here on, either," he went on. "But…it's these things that help us get stronger, right?" he turned to her, smiling a bit.

Tear smiled back. "You're right," she said, looking off a bit. After a short pause, she added, "You've grown a lot since when I first met you."

"Heh, heh…thanks," Luke said. "…Tear?"

"Yes, Luke?"

"I'm glad I got the chance to know you."

Tear blinked. That was unexpected. She smiled a bit. "Me too."

The two of them looked off into the night, falling silent again. After a while, Luke glanced over at Tear. Slowly, he moved his arm, as if unsure if he should, then gently wrapped it around her shoulders.

"!!" Tear looked at his arm, then up at Luke. She turned away, beet red. Luke laughed a bit. Slowly, Tear turned back to him, smiling back, if not a little sheepishly.

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"Hey, we're back!" Guy called out through the snow. He and Jade were making their way back to the cave, shivering and covered in snow.

"It looks like there's a path out of the mountains not far from here," Jade added. "We could reach it in a few…" he trailed off, both he and Guy coming to a stop at the mouth of the cave. Inside, they could see the sleeping forms of their teammates. Natalia was next to a wall near the fire, wrapped in a thick blanket. Anise was curled up under a blanket, sleeping on top of her enlarged Tokunaga.

And Luke and Tear were curled up next to each other by the fire. Tear's head was leaning on Luke's shoulder, Luke's head on hers. Both were fast asleep in the comfort of each other's presence.

"Aw, how cute," Jade said in a low, but playful voice.

Guy smirked a bit. "Do we wake them up?" he whispered.

"No, leave them be," Jade whispered back. "It will prove entertaining in the morning."

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Author's Note: Aw, now wasn't that cute?? I'm impressed with myself!

Anyways, please review!!