Snowfall


Zexion had never liked winter. He didn't like the cool atmosphere it gave out. He didn't like the frozen, white flakes that covered the whole town with thick piles of snow. He never liked any of them.

But that was before he met her.

The first time they met, it was on a snowy day. Zexion was walking through the town of Radiant Garden. It had been snowing for almost two days. Snow piled up here and there, and the town was pretty much lifeless. Not weird, Zexion thought, who in their right mind would want to step away from their comfortable, warm fireplace?

He took another turn to the left, but came into a halt when he saw a figure standing alone in the middle of the empty town square.

The figure had his back on him and didn't seem to realize him. He wore a beige-coloured hooded jacket, along with a simple jeans and sneakers. He also had his hood on. What was this guy doing in here?

"What are you doing?"

The figure turned around, slipping his jacket hood off as he did so. Just then Zexion knew that it was a girl. She had long, brown hair and a pair of red eyes. When she realized the other's presence, she smiled cheerfully.

"I'm making a snowman," she answered, shoving a handful of snow into her hands.

Zexion's expression remained indifferent, though he mentally wondered why someone would even want to go outside and play in this kind of weather. "Aren't you cold?"

"It would be a lie if I say I'm not," she said, pressing the white flakes into a small snowball, "but it's nothing I couldn't take care of." She threw the ball towards some direction and hit a dead tree branch that was stood at the very top of a pile of snow at the side of the road. Zexion hadn't realized it was there before.

"Why don't you go home? You'll freeze yourself out here."

She picked up another pile of snow, shaped it into another snowball, and then shrugged casually. "I can't," she answered, "I got lost."

"Are you new?"

The brown-haired girl shook her head. "I've lived here ever since I was born, but I get lost a lot. Don't worry. It's nothing uncommon."

'Nothing uncommon'? Zexion thought, just how directionally-challenged this girl was? "Where do you live?"

She was about to release the snowball, but stopped when she heard him asking. She thought for a while. "I live near the accessory shop, just beside the ice cream shop."

Zexion turned around, taking a step forward before stopped and looked at the girl. "Follow me. I'll take you there."

The girl stared at him, blinking innocently. Then a wide smile grew on her face and she happily skipped towards him. "Thanks," she said, genuinely pleased, "By the way, what's your name? I'm Jasmin."

Zexion glanced at her. "My name's Zexion."

"It's nice to meet you, Zexion."

-X-X-X-

Zexion heard a soft 'thud' from the window on his right. He knew who it was right away.

Closing the book he had been reading and carefully putting it on his coat pocket, Zexion rose from his seat and took some easy steps towards the window. He took a mere glance outside the window before opened it.

"Good morning, Zexion," a voice greeted him, "I've come to get you."

There she was, standing at the front of his house and waving up cheerfully at him. She was wearing a simple, plaid coat and black jeans. A red scarf was put around her neck this time.

"The others have been waiting for you at the town square. Hurry up and get ready. We're going to have snowballs fight today," she announced.

Zexion remembered Jasmin's three friends whom she had introduced to him some times ago. Their names were Roxas, Namine, and Axel. They were pretty much nice companions. Roxas and Namine were twins. They had almost the exact face figure and behaviour. Axel was the only one Zexion could label as weird. He was a red-haired guy that had a strange liking for fire—pyro, as Zexion called him.

"I can't separate Roxas and Namine from being in the same group, and Axel would prefer to just watch with his new girlfriend," she told him, "you'll be my team, won't you?"

He didn't answer right away. "Okay."

-X-X-X-

"We're done!" Jasmin exclaimed happily when she had done giving a last touch to the moogle-shaped snowman she had been making.

The snowball fight had ended with their team won against the twins. Roxas had offered them some sea-salt ice creams for their prize, but they had turned it down politely. Who would want to eat ice cream in winter anyway? Wait, there was one here.

Roxas, Namine, and Axel had gone home a bit earlier, leaving only Jasmin and Zexion. Jasmin didn't want to leave yet; she said she wanted to play a bit more, while Zexion only accompanied her so that she wouldn't get lost on her way home.

"You're pretty skilful at this," he complimented.

Jasmin smiled. "Thanks," she said, taking a thorough look at her work, "But it's still missing something."

"And what that might be?"

Without answering, Jasmin pulled off her scarf and put it on (what seemed like) the snow moogle's neck. "There," she said, satisfied, "It's complete now." She turned at Zexion. "What do you think?"

Zexion glanced at her and breathed out a sigh. Taking his hands out his pockets, he took off his own scarf and wrapped it around the brunette's neck. "Put that on. You'll freeze yourself."

She stared at the blue-grey scarf round her neck. It was a bit too big for her, but it felt warm and had a faint scent of Zexion on it. She smiled softly. "Thank you. It's really warm."

-X-X-X-

The weather had become warmer. The sun had shown itself again. Piles of snow slowly melted and turned into mere puddles of water on the street. Winter was going to be over soon.

Zexion was reading his book, glancing over at the window of his room every now and then. She hadn't come again today. It had been days since the last time he met her and it was unusual for her not to come.

Zexion thought for a while. Could it be that she got lost again?

-X-X-X-

He found her at the town square, standing in the middle of the town square. She had her back on him and didn't seem to realize his presence. She was wearing her beige-coloured jacket, the same one she had worn the first time they met, with the hood on.

"What are you doing?"

She didn't turn around nor did she slip her hood off. Minutes of silence passed before she answered, "I wanted to make a snowman."

"I wanted to have a snowball fight. With you, Roxas, Namine, and Axel. I wanted to play with you guys again." She glanced at a puddle near her feet. "But the snow has melted and winter is going to be over. Soon we all have to get back to our daily activities. We might not be able to play together again."

She turned around and looked at him with a small smile on her face. "You know, I want to be with you. I like you and it feels very comfortable to have you around. I wish to spend more time with you, Zexion."

She looked up at the sky, eyes closed. "Hey, Zexion," she called, "Do you think we'll be able to meet and spend some time together again?"

Zexion didn't say anything. Jasmin only laughed quietly. "Is that a no?" she asked. Suddenly she felt something cold fell on her face. She snapped her eyes open.

Soft, white flakes of snow were showering down endlessly from the sky. The air turned cold all of a sudden. It didn't give a slightest hint of spring coming.

Her eyes went wide, shocked and puzzled by this strange phenomenon. "How…can it be snowing?"

Zexion didn't answer. Instead, he pulled off his scarf and put it around the girl's neck.

"Illusions might not be as good as the real thing," he said,

"But as long as the snows fall, I'll always be with you."

----

Author's Note:

Uh... Fluffy? Maybe yes, but I hope it's not.

This was dedicated for my friend's birthday. Jasmin is her OC, by the way.