"Darling, I really don't think this is a good idea." Helena's voice was muffled from beneath two scarves and her heavy jacket zipped up to her chin. "Can we not just stay inside by the fire and read a book?" She was freezing and they hadn't even stepped outside yet. Tugging her coat higher over her chin, she turned to appeal to Myka one last time. When she saw the amused expression on Myka's face and the way she was practically bouncing with suppressed excitement, she sighed deeply. It seemed she wasn't getting out of this one.
Myka was trying hard not to laugh at the sight of Helena bundled within an inch of her life. She didn't even want to think of how many layers she had under her jacket; plenty, from the look of her bulky outline. She thought it was the most adorable thing she had ever seen. Reaching over to pull Helena's hat down firmly around her ears, Myka teased, "Come on, surely they had snow in London. Don't you think you're over-exaggerating slightly?"
Refusing to see the humor in the situation, Helena narrowed her eyes and said haughtily, "Just because we had snow, does not mean I cared for it. It certainly wasn't this cold either." Stepping fully onto the porch and shutting the door behind her, she continued dryly, "Besides, it was simply not done to go cavorting in the snow. That was left to children, and I had too much sense, even as a child, to tempt hypothermia willingly."
Myka laughed loudly at the Brit's put upon expression and indignant tone. Grabbing her gloved hand, she jerked Helena down the steps of the B&B, calling over her shoulder, "That's too bad, Wells, because you promised to build a snow fort with me, and anything else I wanted to do today."
Helena bit back a disgruntled sigh, muttering under her breath, "Yes, but I figured I would be able to convince you to stay inside where we would have little need for jackets and snow boots, or any clothing at all." Helena wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, which was ridiculous since they were all that was visible of her face. Stifling another laugh, Myka grinned crookedly.
"I know that was your plan, but we will have plenty of time after…" she quickly dropped Helena's hand, scooped up a handful of snow, and aimed it expertly at Helena's chest. Gasping from the cold that splattered her face and wormed its way under her scarves, Helena opened her mouth to give an angry retort. She was cut off by wet snow slamming into the side of her head, hard enough to sting.
Growling angrily, Helena bent down to gather some ammunition. By the time she straightened, Myka was sprinting away across the yard, pausing occasionally to grab snow and shape it into orbs that she lobbed in Helena's direction. Helena took off after her. The extra layers she had on made it difficult to move quickly, but she compensated with her impressive accuracy, hitting Myka squarely in the middle of her back and causing her to cry out. Helena shouted in victory and continued raining round after round at Myka's retreating form while ducking out of the way of Myka's well-placed shots. Laughing and breathing heavily, Helena forgot about the cold until she squatted down for more snow and was forced off her feet. Myka landed on top of her, crowing joyfully. Helena took a moment to enjoy the feeling of Myka's body resting on top of hers and her triumphant smirk, but she was wet and freezing now. So she did the only logical thing, she grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it down the front of Myka's half-unzipped jacket, making sure it got under her shirt.
Yelling in shock, Myka jumped up and began desperately trying to remove the ice from her clothing, shooting furious glares at Helena as she rose gracefully, if stiffly, and grinned victoriously. Knocking powder from her hat and coat, Helena moved in to help unzip Myka's jacket and dust off any remaining snow. Myka, over the shock, grabbed Helena and pulled her into a scorching kiss. Helena groaned at the sensation of Myka's hot mouth warming her lips. She shivered involuntarily and Myka brought her closer. Helena could feel Myka's body heat through her layers, and was astounded at how warm she managed to stay despite the weather. "I grew up in Colorado." She murmured against Helena's lips, answering her unspoken question, "The cold doesn't affect me much."
Myka pulled away, causing Helena to protest loudly. She chuckled and took Helena's hands in hers, pulling off the soaked fabric of her gloves and shoving them into her coat pocket. Pulling her back into her arms, she urged Helena's hands under her sweatshirt to lie against her warm skin. Content, she wrapped her arms around Helena, enveloping her in a cocoon of warmth. Helena sighed happily and laid her head against Myka's chest, letting her body heat and affection warm her as effectively as a roaring fire.
They stayed there for a while relishing the closeness. Myka sighed loudly and Helena raised her head to look her in the eye. Scrunching her nose, Myka grinned down at her. Leaning close she whispered, "How about we forget about the fort and drink some hot cocoa while we warm up by the fire?"
Helena, pulling Myka toward the house before she could finish her thought, glanced over her shoulder and countered, "Why don't we skip the hot cocoa and I'll warm you by the fire?"