I hate being a procrastinator...I've been trying to write SOMETHING for a good long time, but I never brought myself to do so. However, I finally got to write an one-shot, in honor of a friend, Hurricane's Quill. Quill, this one-shot is for you! It is a Raskus/Erza one-shot, and I plan to start a series of one-shots for the Alternate Fighters, a group that I am a part of. So, this one is for Quill, and I am supporting you!

The Bliss in Winter

Snow. Raskus Dovemiri loved to see snow, which was a constant sight at his home in Icehome. The layer of icy substance lay on the ground as a blanket, sometimes perfect and pure. Other times, it would be trampled on by footsteps, human or animal, yet the image of its beauty was still there. It was one of the many reasons he enjoyed New York during the winter, when it constantly snow and brought forth a winter wonderland. He sat on a bench in the large park, a thick coat wrapped around his body, with his silver locks of hair framing his slightly rosy cheeks. The skies were covered by light grey clouds, a sight that signaled more snow was to come. He did not mind. His blue eyes scanned the area and gazed at the people who walked through the park. Some jogged down the swept off sidewalks; some, particularly the children, played snowball fights or made their own snowman. However, there was one activity that many partook in that he hoped to do soon…once his date arrived.

He checked his watched with an attentive glance, a frosty fog flowing out of his mouth as he released a small sigh. He had come early, so he knew that she was not late. Five more minutes and she should be there, with him. Raskus' lips twitched upward as he thought of what she was doing. I feel sorry for them…He thought in amusement. Then, he leaned back against the bench and closed his eyes. He could imagine a familiar red hair, chocolate brown eye woman with a confident grin on her face, shouting commands at her comrades to dodge and always be aware. His own smile began to grow, and he breathed out a chuckle the more the thought stuck to him.

Suddenly, there was a crunch in the snow that came very close to him. He cracked open one eye to glance, and his smile became even brighter. He said, "Well…nice for you to show…" He chuckled once more and sat up. "And early! That means your training went smoothly?"

Standing before him was the young woman from his mind, a powerful warrior who was known as the Fairy Queen, the Titania: Erza Scarlet. Her face wore her own grin as well, her hands clutching on a white box. Her pale cheeks remained pale, indicating she had just arrived in the cold terrain. "They were able to prove themselves pretty quickly…once they gotten over screaming their heads off and actually managed to dodge! I took them to Makoto's shop as a treat…and got this for us." She replied before she nudged her head to the box. When she sat down next to him, she continued, "Makoto can be quite awesome when she makes this…"

Raskus did not have to open the box to know what was inside. Makoto Kino, who was one of the Sailor Senshi on another world, owned a flower and cake shop. Whenever Erza went there, she always seemed to come out with her favorite cake. "…Did she give it to you or did you order?" He joked with an arched brow.

Erza rolled her eyes before she placed herself next to him. "Be nice, and I might share this with you." She said with an eerily, calm expression on her face, made even more eerie by the strange grin she wore. She added, "And for your information, I always pay her back, if it's not with money. I just make sure she has help for her busy days…or she has customers on her slowest."

"With your beaten up students?"

She did not reply, but the glint in her eyes gave him an affirmative response. Raskus released a bark like laughter at his girlfriend's behavior, before he went to open the box. Instantly, the sweet aroma billowed out of the enclosed box, and he could smell the strawberries that were blended in. The cake itself looked scrumptious, with white icing and a decorative outline on the edges. In the middle, as if standing on a podium of icing, was a lone whole strawberry, red in color and a sight to behold. He could feel his stomach rumble and a temptation to eat the cake right then and there. Yet, one glanced at one particular activity managed to rein him in. He put the cake as the second thing to do on his mental list. He had no intention to let this delicacy slip through his fingers.

He closed the box gently, causing Erza to raise a brow. "Huh…I thought you would want this…" She mumbled slowly. "Are you…alright?"

He hastily nodded. His fingers glided toward her hand and curled around it to a gentle grasp. "I'm fine." He insisted as a soft smile graced his face. "But…there was one thing I really wanted us to do together."

"…You do?" She asked. "Okay…I'll humor you. What's that?"

Raskus snorted slightly at her amused tone. Then, he turned his head and motioned toward the activity he was watching intently. It was a large lake, frozen over with a thick layer of ice, with people skating on top. There were children who chased other, some who were moving at a casual pace, and there were even couples staking beside each other, their hands locked together. Softly, he mumbled, "I wanted us to ice skate."

Erza's eyes widened, filled with surprise and…uncertainty? "…Ice skate…?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, after everything we've had to deal with, I wanted us to do something fun together. And I figured ice skating would be the best." Slowly, he wore a large smile upon his face while his posture became poised. He continued, "What do you say? Come on, you can do well with it! I know how to skate, so I can show you!"

"You know how to skate?" She asked with an arched brow.

That caused Raskus to burst out laughing once more. "Of course I know!" He tilted his head slightly to the right and gave her a grin. His fingers brushed against her hand, with a sense of daring lurking in his eyes. "Don't tell me you're scared Erza…I wonder how the others would like to hear that?" His tone was teasing, but there was a sense of egging mixed in it.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her lips pursed together slightly. "Are you implying that I am scared?" She asked slowly. Her voice was low and, despite the uncertainty that revealed itself in her eyes, firm. "Do we even have ice skating shoes?" She finally asked, with a tone that told him to dare her once more.

"…I've got that covered." Raskus grinned widely, a chuckle slipping from his lips. Then, with a gentle grasp of her hand, he pulled her toward the frozen lake. He could still see anxiety reflected upon her face, while her gaze flickered toward their destination. Her steps were slow and timed, as if she thought heavily whether or not to move forward. Yet, she schooled herself to seem confident in her choice. He could see that clearly, but he knew better. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze again, while his lips curled upward to a smile. "Relax, Erza…you're going to do fine…"

Her gaze met his, and her features seemed to relax. Once they stopped at the edge, Raskus bent slightly with his hand by his right foot. The markings that were visible near his hands glow bright blue, and a frosty mist formed around it. He moved his hand, forming ice like blades upon his shoe. He repeated the process again on his left, before he knelt by Erza's feet. As he lightly grasped her ankle, he felt her shiver slight at his cool touch. He could not help but chuckle slightly, but he said nothing. He moved his hand in the same motions, his runes flaring to life once more, and her shoes had ice blades under them.

He straightened himself back up and grabbed her arms as he stepped out on the ice. Despite his earlier goading, he was not going to rush her onto the ice. Each step was slow and calculative, and he kept his grip on her. She wavered when she moved forward, and she tightened her hold in deep seeded fear that she would fall. Her gaze, however, remained firm. She shuffled her feet, trying to get into the rhythm. Raskus admired her determination. It was one of her qualities that caused him to fall in love with her in the start. When he felt her body become steadier, he slowly began to move quicker. They moved across the ice in a steady manner; he guided her passed the other skater.

Erza faltered slightly as they reached the middle, and her grip tightened. He kept her steady, but he could not help but chuckle softly. "You're doing well, Erza. I think I could start letting you go now." He joked.

That caused her look to darken, a strange fire burning in her eyes. "If you let me go, Raskus…" She slowly said.

To anyone else, that dark look would have scared them off. However, Raskus grinned in a challenging manner. He replied, "Come on now Erza…you wouldn't do anything cruel to me…"

"Raskus, don't tempt me-"

Before her sentence could slip from her lips, his grin widened. Without hesitation, he began to release his hold and back away. He watched as her eyes widened and her body shook. "Raskus-" She started to shout, her arms stretched out to help her keep balance. She moved forward quickly, her eyes shut tightly, but she managed to steady herself. She slid forward slowly, almost afraid to move anymore. As she slowly opened her eyes, she glanced at her feet incredulously. "…Huh…I didn't fall…" She mumbled.

"See?" Raskus laughed once more as he backed away again. "Come on…one step at a time."

Erza's head rose up, and he could tell that she was scanning his face with her attentive gaze. His bravado remained, but the sincerity was there. He knew that she could do it; she was capable of many things. Through the years he lived through, Erza was one of the bravest people he ever met. He had seen her face many things, even beyond what she did with Fairy Tale, and she had gone through many trials. She even managed to get through to him, when he had faced his own worst enemies. He saw her in her angriest, her determined, and her vulnerable states, as well as her happiest. He wanted this one to be one those happy moments, away from the fighting and the heartache that sometimes came with it.

He kept his distance, yet he remained close enough in case she needed his assistance. With his coaxing, she tentatively took a step at a time. They were still slow, but they eventually became steadier and quicker. Raskus felt his heart leap with joy at how quickly she began to get the hang of it. He continued to skate backwards so he could watch her, and it was not long before her strides became longer. Her lips formed a large smile with each movement she made, and then she began to laugh slightly. The music that came from her caused him to join in. No words passed between them at this moment; all they did was laugh and skate on the ice, with people around them. He began to move more fluidly with her nearby, and they began to skate around the lake as fresh powder snow fell upon them.

As time crept by, it was almost like she was a natural. Every now and then, he noticed Erza wobble slightly, but she straightened herself quickly. The relaxation upon her features showed she was comfortable. He watched her calmly, before an idea formed in his mind. Secretly, he grinned before he began to move faster. "SO," He began, his confidence etched in all of his features now, "since you've gotten the hang of it…I suppose this means I can up the game a bit?"

She arched a brow, but then, a confident grin soon replaced her confusion. "You?" She asked, with a tilt of her head. "I think it's time I should up the game…"

"…Wha-?" Suddenly, there was a mischievous glint in her eyes, as a dark shadow seemed to fell upon her. Despite the frigid temperatures they were in, he felt his blood grow colder. "…Wait…heh, now you know everything I did was to-" Before he could finish his sentence, she quickened her pace. The distance between them closed quickly and, with widened eyes, he found himself skating away to recreate that distance. "Hey, Erza!" He cried out.

"I told you I would do something cruel, Raskus!" She exclaimed.

The chase commenced. They weaved through the people once more, made quick turns, swift dodges, and made hasty speed- him to get away and her to catch him. He yelled loudly at his predicament, along with obscenities. There was a couple in front of him, holding hands, and he could not move in time to go around. Therefore, he had to break through them, causing them to fall and he to stumble some. When he swiftly glanced back, his shock grew. Erza sped closer to the fallen couple but, instead of moving around them herself, she jumped over them and landed gracefully on the ice. In his mind, she thought her natural ability to ice skate was more natural than he previously thought…and how it screwed him over even more.

Raskus steadied himself once more and moved, all while he shouted an apology at the couple. He was now on the other side of the lake, by the edge, and he quickly went to step in the snow. The markings on his body began to glow once more, while he focused on a transformation to fly out of range of his girlfriend. However, before he could picture his bird form, he heard an obscene yell, and he turned to see Erza. Her arms were stretched out, and she had made a large leap toward him, like a predator pounce its prey. His eyes widened while his arms instinctively opened to catch her. Everything moved in slow motion, as if time itself stretched out the inevitable. He saw her pink cheeks, the fire in her eyes, and her fiery red locks blow all around her. He felt his body grow colder, but he knew he could not move in time. She was fast, and his body seemed to move slowly by that point. Finally, he felt her body press against his, causing the two to fall against the ground.

Instantly, his arms around her body before they landed in a pile of snow. It softened his landing, so he felt no pain on his back. However, he felt the weight of his girlfriend, who was now on top of him, against his chest. His blue eyes met her brown eyes, and he felt his cheeks burn at their predicament. "…Uh…" was all he could utter. Yet, he made no move to let go.

Erza's lips curled to a predatory like grin. "I should thank you for teaching me to skate…" She said casually.

"So this is going to involve bodily harm now?" He asked, as if it was obvious.

"…Maybe…but first…"

In a flash, she brought her lips against his, shocking him. He can taste and smell the strawberries, and it was almost intoxicating to him. His heart hammered against his chest, while his arms tightened on his hold. After a brief second, he closed his eyes and returned the kiss sweetly. He felt her hand graze his cheek and brush a strand of his silver hair away, sending shivers down his body- more so than the snow did. The kiss was sweet, and he could feel the love and gratitude that she had for him. He moved his lips against hers with a moan that rumbled from his throat.

When they broke away, he could still feel the presence of her lips lingering against his, causing him to smile. "A thank you kiss? Maybe I should do this more often." He joked.

"Maybe…this was fun…" She replied, and he could see the happiness radiating from her face. She rubbed his cheek gently with her thumb, not moving herself off him. "Thank you Raskus…"

"…Hey…you know I would do anything for you. I'm crazy for you."

"Just as I am…"

Their foreheads touched, and they both remained on the ground. Raskus knew it did not mean he was off the hook, and that he would receive a beaten after their moment. However, he remained on the ground, with Erza in his arms and a smile on his face. He felt at peace, with a want for this moment to last for eternity, where nothing could go wrong. It was blissful and perfect, even in an imperfect world where anything could happen. All he knew that he was glad he convinced her to ice skate with him and create one of many perfect moments that he would remember for all time.

And that is it! I hope you guys enjoy, especially you Quill! I accept any kinds of critique! Read and Review!

God Bless!